KUALA TERENGGANU, March 4 — The government has allocated RM150 million for the Vessel Modernisation Programme and the Catch Mechanism Programme to boost the total of fish landings for food supply.
Fisheries Department Deputy Director-General Wan Muhammad Aznan Abdullah said the financing under the Food Security Fund programme is open to Zone A, B, C and C2 fishermen.
“The interest rate is set at 3 per cent for Zone A and B fishermen, and 3.5 per cent for Zone C and C2 fishermen.
“The department has set a target of 315 vessels, 28 for the modernisation programme and 287 for the catch mechanism programme,” he said in a statement today.
As of January 31, Agrobank has approved RM131 million from the fund and the remaining allocation is open to any interested party.
Wan Muhammad Aznan added that 27 Zone C2 deep sea vessels in Terengganu recorded landing 291 metric tons of fish in 2021.
“During a working visit to Amir Vision Sdn Bhd in Kuala Terengganu today, (Agriculture and Food Security Minister) Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the construction of modern vessels should be expanded to replace traditional boats,” he said.
Amir Vision is a Bumiputera company involved in constructing modern Zone C2 vessels in Terengganu.
He said the Fisheries Department is targeting 1.3 metric tons of both coastal and deep sea catch for 2023.
— Bernama
