Preparations set for shrimping season
Kuwait Fishermen Association (KFA) organized its annual seminar to announce the start of the shrimping season in international waters, which begins on August 1. Col Tariq Al-Wazaq of the Kuwait Coast Guard, head of the violations department at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Waleed Abbas Khan and KFA President Khalid AlSuwayan attended the seminar. The meeting dealt with preparations for the start of the season. Suwayan lauded the efforts of interior minister and Assistant Undersecretary for Sea and Land Borders Lt Gen Sheikh Mohammad AlYousuf Al-Sabah.
He said there was an initial approval to allow exit and entrance of Kuwaiti fishing boats from Doha Port. Wazaq said the coast guard does not have a problem with boats in Al-Shamlan Marina leaving from Doha Port, and the southern boats from Um Al-Maradem, provided that KFA coordinates with the Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA).
Wazaq spoke about exiting and entering international waters, adding that boats from Shamlan Marina leave from Doha first before going to international waters. When boats return from international waters, they should first pass by the coast guard for inspection, then go to Doha Port, then to the marina, because it is not allowed to enter Shamlan Marina before passing by Doha, and violators will face legal action.
Meanwhile, KFA’s Hassan Al-Sebagha said that it was agreed by the coast guard on the following:
1. Make a special form of three copies for Doha sea outlet that has the licensing details, name of the boat, names of fishermen on the boat, the owner and their civil ID numbers.
2. Accepting the civil ID at Doha sea outlet and Um Al-Maradem instead of the passport.
3. All fishermen must have a valid residency permit along with the civil ID.
4. Fishermen with temporary residence permits are not allowed to leave to international waters.
5. If fishermen see anything suspicious, they must inform the coast guard about it to maintain public security.