in-cyprus 4 January 2020 -Edited by Annie Charalambous
Professional fishermen in Paphos have called on the government to solve the longstanding problem of lack of infrastructure in the ports of Kato Paphos and Agios Georgios Peyias.
In a statement on Saturday, the Paphos Coastal Fisheries Association also said that immediate action should be taken before the industry completely dies. And they listed pending issues that makes their jobs harder by the day.
“Professional fishermen are looking for incentives to renew their nets since even the slightest damage equals to €300 to €350. Imposing severe fines on illegal fishing should also be adopted as soon as possible,” they said.
Following measures taken by the Department of Fisheries which also saw the withdrawal of vessels, only 327 out of a total of 650 professional fishermen in Cyprus are still in the profession today. Of them, 65 are active in Paphos, their statement also said.
