KUCHING: The state government is drafting amendments to the Sarawak Fisheries Ordinance 2003 to establish a State Department of Fisheries, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly was told today.
Sarawak Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said his ministry will engage with the relevant agencies to harmonise and streamline the ordinance with other existing laws.
“Concurrently, my ministry is preparing the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) Paper for approval for the establishment of the Department of Fisheries Sarawak,“ he said when winding up the debate for his ministry.
He said having a state-level fishery department would do away with the overlapping roles and functions among agencies of similar importance due to the source authority and jurisdiction.
“This creates grey areas in legislation and needs to be clarified to avoid confusion and delays in enforcing the rules and regulations,“ he added.