A number of Saudi fishermen expressed their concern about a new project called "Fisherman", which the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture will launch on Sept. 30. They say the project might cause a crisis in the fishing sector and make it difficult for them to pay outstanding installments to the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF), Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Monday.
There are around 15,000 fishing boats operated by 30,000 individuals in the Kingdom. The ministry said the project aims to encourage young Saudis to venture into the business of fishing.
Ahmed Al-Ayada, deputy minister for agriculture, said the project was very important and focuses on empowering Saudis and helping them become fishermen. The project will also ensure the sustainability of the fishing sector, which plays a pivotal role in supporting the national economy and creating job opportunities for Saudis, he said.
The ministry called upon fishermen and fishing companies to start attracting Saudis who are willing to work as fishermen, stressing that no boat will be issued with a fishing permit unless it has a Saudi fisherman on board.
The Human Resources Development Fund will attract Saudis who want to venture into the sector and qualify them to be professional fishermen while the ADF will support fishing startups and provide them with loans.
However, a number of Saudi fishermen have called upon the ministry to study the project well before requiring all fishing boats to have a Saudi fisherman on board, noting that the ministry should think carefully before enforcing the decision.
The fishermen said they are not against the decision and that they support all national projects aiming to create job opportunities for fellow citizens but they are worried that the decision has not based on realistic studies of the fishing sector.
They said they were worried that the decision might not succeed in achieving its goals due to lack of proper training and qualification of Saudi fishermen.
Khalifah Alboainain, a fisherman, has said the project does not come in the interest of Saudi fishermen nor the fishing sector because it requires each fisherman to have a Saudi on board his boat.
The business does not generate a lot of money and many of the fishermen are threatened with accumulating debts because of their inability to pay off the installments to ADF.
The decision might force fishermen out of business and render thousands jobless. He noted that the ministry itself could not provide 15,000 Saudi fishermen or even 10 percent of the required number of trained Saudi fishermen because there is a sharp shortage.
"Most Saudis do not like to work for others and prefer to start their own business. The Agricultural Development Fund supports Saudis who want to venture into the fishing sector. Besides, the fishing environment is harsh and does not generate a lot of income and requires long hours of working and spending so much time at sea. It is dangerous to require boats to have a Saudi on board when this Saudi is not trained enough to do the job," he said.
Nasser Al-Najjar agreed that the move was not practical, let alone implementable. "It is not practical to force Saudis who do not like fishing to work in the sector. The job is dangerous and involves a lot of risks most rookie fishermen would not take or bear," he said.
Fahd Al-Mashal, chairman of Al-Jubail Business Council, said creating a fish processing industry and developing the fish transportation sector could create thousands of job opportunities and was better than the ministry's project.
"We need a decision that helps increase GDP and creates job opportunities. The ministries of commerce and agriculture should support fishermen to develop the fishing sector, not increase difficulties and obstacles. After all, fishing has been a source of living for hundreds of years," he said.
He agreed that fishing is a dangerous trade and many young men could not bear the difficulties of the job.
SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE
