Africa-Press – Mauritius. A Wreath Laying Ceremony to pay homage to fishermen lost at sea in the context of World Fisheries Day 2022 was held, today, at Le Morne Public Beach. The Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Nand Prakash Ramchurrun; the Member of Parliament, Mrs Marie Sandra Monia Mayotte; and other personalities laid wreaths on that occasion.
The ceremony was organised by the Fishermen Welfare Fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping.
The event was moreover marked by a parade of Officers of the National Coast Guard (NCG) and prayers were offered by priests of different religious bodies in memory of fishermen lost at sea.
In his address, Minister Maudhoo emphasised that fishing is a very risky job especially with climate change and, on that note, paid homage to the contribution and work of the Mauritian fisher community to the economy of Mauritius.
He highlighted that World Fisheries Day is celebrated globally to pay tribute to the fisher community and also to shed light on the challenges that fishermen have to face on a daily basis and to consequently introduce measures to improve their livelihoods.
The Fisheries sector, he indicated, contributes significantly to the economy of the country by creating jobs and bringing in foreign exchange and revenue.
It is equally important to be aware that humankind depends on rivers, reservoirs and the ocean for food and nutrition and therefore it is our duty to avoid polluting land, rivers and oceans, he added.
In addition, Mr Maudhoo enumerated Governmental measures introduced to benefit the fisher community of Mauritius, namely: increase of bad weather allowance from Rs 265 to Rs 575; provision of Rs 52,500 to a fisher who is unable to carry out his fishing activity and/or going on retirement; provision of Rs 2,500 for the purchase of fishing hooks; and grant of up to Rs 200,000 for fishers to acquire a fishing boat.
The Minister further announced that a radio will be provided to fishers who will be able to contact the NCG and the Fisheries Posts to come to their aid in case of difficulty at sea. A sum of Rs 5,000 will likewise be offered for fishers to acquire fish traps (‘cassiers’), he pointed out.
Finally, Mr Maudhoo encouraged young fishers to come together and set up fishers’ cooperatives (minimum three fishers as members) to benefit up to Rs 6 million from Government to acquire a fishing boat.
It is recalled that, every year, World Fisheries Day is celebrated on November 21 by fishing communities across the globe. The day highlights the importance of healthy ocean ecosystem and ensuring sustainable stocks of fisheries.
The fisheries sector plays an important role in the socio-economic development of several countries. World Fisheries Day therefore aims to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and other serious threats to the sustainability of marine resources
According to the United Nations, two-thirds of the total world marine resources have been overfished with global warming and pollution having resulted in damaging global marine resources.
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