A ceremony for the award of Certificates to fishermen having successfully completed the General Course for Fisher and for the remittance of Artisanal Fisher Registration Cards, including to St Brandon fishers, was held, today, at the Côte d'Or National Sports Complex, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.
The Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo; several Ministers; Parliamentary Private Secretaries; Members of Parliament; and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
In his address for the occasion, the Prime Minister dwelt on the necessity for the population to understand and appreciate the vital role of fishers as they contributed to the local economy and to national food security while taking risks to bring their catch to shore. He recalled that fishing was a dangerous profession with fishers having to face rough seas, unpredictable weather, and long hours on the water, among others.
Prime Minister Jugnauth thus saluted the determination, sacrifices, courage and efforts of the fishers, and reiterated the support of Government to ensure that their activities were sustainable and rewarding. In that context, he enumerated the various incentives implemented for registered fishers to improve their livelihoods and enhance the resilience of the fisheries sector.
These include a bad weather allowance of Rs 800; a grant representing 50% for the purchase of a boat up to a maximum amount of Rs 300,000 under the Canotte Scheme; a grant of Rs 6 million to cooperatives for the purchase of semi-industrial fishing boat; a grant of Rs 1 million to individual fishers for the purchase of semi-industrial fishing boat; a grant of Rs 3,500 for the purchase of hooks and fishing materials; a grant of Rs 7,500 for the purchase of materials to construct fish trap; a one-off grant of Rs 50,000 to registered fishers for the renewal of outboard motors; duty free facilities to registered artisanal fishers for the acquisition of a 4 x 4 vehicle; the construction of fishing posts; and the renovation of Maison des Pêcheurs.
According to Mr Jugnauth, the Government prioritised the safety and well-being of fishers and their families and in that endeavour, had put in place numerous initiatives. He hence listed the placement of marker buoys; the installation of Fish Aggregating Devices; training; a lump sum of Rs 125,000 for fishermen aged 65 years and above and those returning their licenses; a death grant of Rs 300,000 to families of fishers lost at sea; an amount of Rs 200,000 paid to heirs of fishers in case of sudden death; a monthly provision of Rs 10,000 over three months for women fishers after their child's birth; a Rs 15,000 grant to children of fishers for the purchase of a laptop; and the write-off of loans of deceased fishermen.
Moreover, the Head of Government apprised that at date, some 1,077 artisanal fisher registration cards had been delivered; a total of 241 fishers had benefitted from the grant to buy a boat since 2015; and the long outstanding loans of 241 fishers were written off by the Development Bank of Mauritius Ltd. He stated that this week, marine VHF radios would be provided to fishers and soon, personal locator beacons would be offered as well. Mr Jugnauth also seized the opportunity to thank the partners that offered support, training, and resources to fishers, namely the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union.
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During the ceremony, students received their cheques under the Fishermen Welfare Fund scholarship scheme. Furthermore, licences were remitted to shrimps and oyster collectors and cheques were handed over to fishers for basket traps and hooks allowance, and under the Canotte scheme. Representatives of six fishermen cooperative societies collected too their letter of intent to the tune of Rs 6 million each for the purchase of semi-industrial fishing boats.
The ceremony was followed by an exhibition with the participation of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping; the Fisheries Training and Extension Centre; the Mauritius Oceanography Institute; the Albion Fisheries Centre; the Fishermen Welfare Fund; the Seafarers' Welfare Fund; the Mauritius Maritime Training Academy; and the Mauritius Prison Service. The objectives of the exhibition were to provide fishers with access to information and resources on available services, support programmes, and facilities.
