Fisheries Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said that it is unacceptable that the country continues to import fish when there are fish in Mauritian territorial waters.
Speaking yesterday in Grand Gaube at a ceremony to hand over cheques to senior fishermen who wish to return their fishing cards against payment of Rs 52,500, the minister said he will invite investors to assess and see how the fishery in our territorial waters can be marketed. He took the opportunity to say that the government has given special attention to fishermen, hence the Bad Weather Allowances which has increased to Rs 475. A decision, he said, that the former regime could not take.
He also said that he is in talks with the Development Bank of Mauritius to write off the debts of fishermen to the tune of Rs 100 000. The Minister also announced that the government has taken the decision to write off the debts of deceased fishermen. He made a point of stating that the government does not intend to reduce the number of fishermen. In fact, he said, the children of fishermen can take over the fishing cards of their parents if the latter can no longer continue fishing. The minister also said that among the fifty fishermen, who received their checks of Rs 52,500, is a fisherman aged 95 years.
