President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government will launch a special training programme to ensure that every fishing vessel has at least one crew member certified as a rescue diver. He made the announcement at the function held to mark the 43rd Fishermen's Day.
Speaking at the function, President Muizzu highlighted the tragic accidents that occur at sea, especially while diving during net fishing. He said that these incidents can be prevented if the crew are properly trained to provide assistance, expressing concern that no permanent solution has been implemented to prevent such incidents in a valuable sector such as fisheries.
As such, President Muizzu said that crew members will be trained as certified rescue divers. He said that the government aims to implement policies to prevent incidents at sea, noting that they are a tragedy for the victims as well as their family.
Sharing details of the project on the PSM Week 14 programme, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shafiu said that with the change in net fishing methods, there has been a huge change in the way fish are caught. He detailed that fishermen sometimes dive to a depth of forty metres and that the lack of training to handle dive equipment or provide immediate first aid leads to incidents at sea. Therefore, he said the government will ensure that every fishing vessel has at least one person trained to respond during emergency situations.