MME support scheme for fishing boats to be implemented after Eid

The project by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) to support fishermen and owners of ships and fishing boats with fuel and ice will be implemented after Eid-al-Adha, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported.

Ismail al-Sheikh, head of the Fishermen’s Affairs Section at the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), told

Arrayah that the department has handed over the list of beneficiaries to Qatar Fuel (Woqod), which will provide ordinary fuel for fishing boats operating at sea.

“The names and phone numbers of the owners of all ships and boats, who have applied for support and met the conditions, have been handed over to Woqod. The company will communicate with them and schedule the installation of electronic chips on ships, boats and at the ports in which they are located. Woqod will start installing electronic chips for those boats so that they can obtain support,” the MME official said.

A total of 408 boats will be part of the fuel-providing scheme. Also, 215 boats in Al Khor and Al Shamal will be given ice and more than 80 boats in Doha and Al Wakra will get support.

The refuelling will be limited to stations located in the main fishing ports and subsidised fuel will be supplied only among the fuel tanks installed on fishing vessels and boats, and may not be filled in mobile plastic containers, the report said. It is also not allowed to use subsidised fuel for cars, trucks or any other vehicle other than fishing vessels.

The Fisheries Department has the right to stop the subsidy in case of non-compliance with the relevant regulating conditions and rules.

Last month, the MME signed a contract with Woqod, Al Wakra Port Ice Factory and Doha Import and Export Centre with the aim of reducing the cost of production for fishermen, owners of ships and fishing boats while encouraging them to continue in this profession to serve the food security of Qatar.

Under these contracts, an integrated programme is provided to support fishermen and the owners of ships and boats for three consecutive years - 2021, 2022 and 2023 - by providing ordinary petroleum for fishing boats operating at sea as well as supplying them with ice blocks and crushed ice.

The package provided by the ministry to fishermen and the owner of ships and fishing boats, is one of many initiatives launched to support fishing inputs, encourage workers in this field to continue and to strengthen the ministry’s strategy to achieve product quality and to reduce fish losses, as well as to contribute to the country’s food security efforts.

The MME supports the inputs of the fishing process as well as the soft loans it provides in co-operation with Qatar Development Bank.