By Olivia Miwil - April 6, 2022 @ 5:14pm'
KOTA KINABALU: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) recently deployed 20 fish aggregating devices (FAD) in waters off Gaya Island.
The project is a collaboration with the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM).
It aims to create an alternative fishing ground, away from restricted areas near offshore oil and gas facilities, through the deployment of the FAD devices known locally as unjam-unjam.
Petronas upstream strategic communications general manager Aimy Zairin Mohamed said through the support from MMEA and LKIM, they were able to put in place necessary measures to ensure the safety of people around the area of operations.
"It includes conducting awareness programmes to minimise maritime accidents and encroachment into restricted areas, especially among the fishing communities.
"We have also deployed FAD as an effort to provide alternative fishing areas, away from the restricted areas.
"Besides safety, the Sahabat Maritim programme further aims to create long term benefits for the fishing communities," he said in a statement.
Petronas also handed over 30 packages containing food items such as rice and cooking oil to those participating in the FAD project.
Also present were MMEA Sabah and Labuan enforcement and maritime exercises principal assistant director Commander Mahkos Juing; Sabah LKIM deputy director Saliah Mudin; and Sabah and Labuan Petronas head Siti Ayu Abdul Wahab.
Sahabat Maritim is a safety outreach programme initiated in 2015 for coastal communities especially the fishing communities in Sabah and Labuan. It is aimed at educating on the dangers of vessel encroachment within the 500m safety radius surrounding Petronas offshore operations.
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