Gorontalo`s Fishermen are lucky to have Tomini Bay."Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, delivered Rp3.5 billion worth of assistance on Saturday to Gorontalos fishermen groups which trained in the Coastal Community Development Project Program.
Minister Pudjiastuti handed a feed mill machine and raw feed worth Rp100 million apart from Rp91 million in assistance for training personnel in gillnet maintenance. The assistance was distributed among 30 fishermen in the area.
Among other forms of aid was an amount of Rp376 million used to disseminate information about fishery among 55 fishermen, and 50 masks and snorkeling packets delivered to the community for Tourism Awareness about Whale Sharks at Botubarani Village, Kabila Bone District, Bone Bolango Regency.
"Gorontalos Fishermen are lucky to have Tomini Bay. In my view, this extraordinary bay is gorgeous. The sea is deep but the waves are calm, enabling fishermen to catch fish safely," the minister said after delivering the assistance to fishermen at Inengo Fishing Port in Bone Bolango Regency.
Following her several working visits since becoming minister, Pudjiastuti said Gorontalo is the best place with massive maritime potential, compared to other places she has visited.
During her interaction with local fishermen, the minister was urged to accord preferential treatment to fishermen who catch fish themselves instead of working for a company.
"We do not want to be workers in a company. Please give us boats and fishing gear so that we can catch fish on our own," a local fisherman said.
Meanwhile, Vice Governor of Gorontalo said it had 50 Inka Mina and Mina Maritime ships, 13 fish auction places, four fishing ports and one archipelago port in 2016.
"When it comes to fish farming, we are currently exporting vannamei shrimps to Japan, Korea and Singapore," he said.
(Reported by Debby Mano/Uu.M052/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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