13,000 fishermen have received aid from Ko-Nelayan
KENINGAU: Over 13,000 fishermen in the state had received various forms of assistance from the Sabah Fishermen and Fisheries Development Cooperative (KoNelayan) from 1978 to the present time.
Ko-Nelayan Development Planning head Cabrini Chia said among the assistance given was the fishery assistance scheme which provided credit facilities to fishermen in the form of outboard engines and fishery equipment.
“In addition, credit assistance was given to small-scale fisheries entrepreneurs and agricultural entrepreneurs to run their businesses,” she said at the closing of the SmallScale Fisheries Industry Entrepreneurship Course (PIKP) Halal Certification of the wet and dry yellow noodles at the Youth and Sports Ministry multi-purpose hall here, on Thursday.
She said Ko-Nelayan also provided infrastructures to fishermen, especially for those who did business traditionally, by providing jetties and huts to help them.
Cabrini said besides strengthening the fishermen’s standard of living in the state, Ko-Nelayan had also channelled various assistance from the state and federal governments to more than 2,000 participants of 1 AZAM and the head of hardcore poor households (KIRMT) throughout the state.
At the same time, she said in order to increase the productivity of the people in the state, KoNelayan in the future would add more skills training to lift the talents of the participants in producing new products to reduce dependence on imported foodstuffs .