Efforts to preserve marine resources

Manama

 A lawmaker called on the authorities to tighten its grip on fishing processes, in order to preserve the country’s marine resources, it was announced yesterday.

 In a press statement issued by Parliament Council, MP Jamal Dawood urged Agriculture and Marine Resources Affairs in Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to take the necessary measures to stop the existing drainage of marine resources.

 Dawood said, “Supervision on nautical boarders should be intensified, in cooperation with Interior Ministry, to ensure the safety of marine resources and environment, and to protect the country’s food security.”

“Parliamentary investigations and observation indicated that around 60 tonnes of fish are caught in a day across Bahraini waters, while the actual need of fish in the market doesn’t exceed 7 tonnes. That comes to more than 50 tonnes of excessive fish harvest. All these fish are being smuggled outside Bahrain,” claimed the MP.

 The MPs statements came in line with the trending news about removing the government’s support to meat products, seeking the reduction of expenses to overcome the current deficit in the state’s budget.

 Calling for tougher laws to combat the increasing violations taking place in Bahraini waters, Dawood said, “Coast Guards are busy tackling security-related issues, while violating fishermen are left unsupervised. Agriculture and Marine Resources Affairs should receive more support from other official authorities to tackle this increasing phenomenon.”