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NEWS:-
Saturday, 22nd April 2006 |
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The Fisheries
authorities have release over five thousand turtle hatchlings to the sea |
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The Government
of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has
always been serious in ensuring the sustainability of the flora and
fauna resources in the country. The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry
Culture, Youth and Sports was speaking at the launching of the Year of
the Turtle 2006, Friday. |
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According to
Awang Haji Jemat, since the early 1990, the Department of Fisheries had
conducted trials and successfully hatched turtle eggs artificially.
Encouraged by such success and being aware of the threat of the
dwindling in numbers of nestling turtle in Brunei Darussalam, the
Department of Fisheries has embarked on turtle management and
conservation project. The objectives of such project were for the
maintenance of the biodiversity and to properly manage the turtle
population through the protection of their nesting sites and eggs.
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The release of
turtles was led by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth
and Sports and followed by the Director of the Council of the Southeast
Asian Fisheries Development Center, SEAFDEC, who are currently attending the
meeting in the country and students from ten secondary and primary schools
from the Brunei Muara District. Ten adult turtles and 40 hatchlings were
released comprising of Olive Ridley turtle, Hawksbill turtle and Green
turtle. Since the programme started in 2001, the Fishery Department had
successfully hatched a total of 8 thousand eggs and released 5 thousand
hatchlings to the sea. |
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Public owe over
173 million dollars to government |
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The public owe
the government more than one hundred seventy-three million dollars in
arrears. These include water and electricity bills, as well as overdue
payments in the national housing schemes. The matter was raised in the
yesterday’s Friday Sermon.
The Sermon calls
on the outstanding bills to be paid promptly, stressing that all debts
must be paid, so that the debtors do not commit a sin that they would
have to answer for in the next world. The sermon also advises them not
to delay payments, because this would cause a massive backlog that would
become a heavy burden to them and the country. In the Khutbah or the
Sermon, the Imam said debts can be avoided if people budget themselves
properly and wisely. Do not delay payments, no matter how small,
because these would accumulate. This is what happened to the water and
electricity bills, whereby the amount owed is one hundred twenty million
for electricity, forty-two million for water plus eleven point three
million for national housing. |
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In Islam, the Sermon said, someone who delay paying a loan or debt when
he or she has the ability to pay, is committing a big sin. This is
especially so when the person dies and his or her heir also refuses to
pay. Therefore, the Sermon advises, avoid debts and lead a simple and
moderate lifestyle. People who have taken loans are asked to be serious
and determined to pay their debts as soon as possible, and follow the
teaching of Prophet Muhammad SAW, by praying to Allah the Almighty for
protection from such debts.
Islam does not
encourage its followers to have debts because it’s a big trust that has
to be fulfilled even when the person dies. If the person has heirs,
they have to continue paying his debts until they’re paid in full.
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A local fishing
company acquires three new fishing trawlers to improve catch |
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Beside the oil
and gas sector, fisheries have been identified as a source of potential
great wealth that has not been fully exploited. Syarikat Azam
Enterprise, locally owned by Awang Haji Zaini bin Haji Mohd. Zain, is
one enterprise involved in exploiting the Zone Three Fishing Area, which
is an area extending between 20 and 200 miles offshore of the Brunei
waters. |
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As part of
efforts to expand its deep sea operation, the company has added three
more trawlers that were officially launched Thursday night by the Deputy
Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Awang Haji Ahmad bin
Haji Abdul Rahman. The sprinkling of scented flowers ceremony was held
at the Fish Landing Complex in Serasa, Muara. |
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The three vessels
cost a total of 620 thousand dollars which the company invested under the
Small and Medium Financing Scheme. With a 530-horse powered engine, the
vessels among others are equipped with cooler systems and can be brought to
the sea at anytime of the season. Each vessel can accommodate more than 8
tonnes of fish. With the help of fish detection device, Awang Haji Zaini’s
vessel landed the biggest haul of approximately 50 metric tonnes of fish
comprising of Yellow Fin and Black Tunas last year after two weeks out at
the sea. |
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SEAFDEC reaffirms
its role in promoting sustainable development of fisheries through regional
cooperation |
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The Southeast
Asia Fisheries Development Centre, SEAFDEC Council has reaffirmed the
centre’s important role as a regional organization to assist the member
countries in promoting sustainable development of fisheries through
regional cooperation. In this regard, the council agreed to continue
supporting SEAFDEC including exerting utmost effort in securing annual
regular contribution to enable the organization to carry out its role in
the future. The matter was agreed upon at the closing of the 38th
Meeting of the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Centre, SEAFDEC
Council in Bandar Seri Begawan. |
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The meeting
discussed proposals to be implemented that covers various regional and
international cooperation and readjusting with priority given on the
real need and immediate follow up activities for future roadmap and
develop necessary action to overcome fisheries challenges. The meeting
was attended by Directors from SEAFDEC member countries and
representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, the FAO Regional Office for
Asia and the Pacific and the Swedish Board of Fisheries (SBF). |
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The meeting also
endorsed ASEAN SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (ASSP) including term of
reference as well as scope and cooperation mechanism to strengthen
collaboration between SEAFDEC member countries and ASEAN in fisheries
which will be submitted to the 14th Meeting of ASEAN Sectoral Working
Group on Fisheries for endorsement. Meanwhile, on tackling the
international fish trade-related issue and anti fisheries campaign,
member countries in the region are urged to overcome the matters
carefully. |
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END OF NEWS |
