The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry will cease with the issuing of deep sea fishing licence to foreign fishermen to protect the interest of local fishermen, said its minister Salahuddin Ayub.

He said 828 deep sea fishing licences had been issued by the Malaysian Fisheries Department to foreign and local fishermen.

"Of the total, 338 licences were issued to Thai and Vietnamese fishermen and 300 of them had been revoked,” he said after a meeting with fishermen at the jetty of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) in Chendering, Kuala Terengganu today.

Prior to this, he said, the government had to approve the Class C2 licence for foreign fishermen because of several issues, including shortage of marine catch .

Meanwhile, at a media conference in Besut, Salahuddin said construction of the project on the Pengkalan Nangka Irrigation scheme, costing RM35 million, was completed and would benefit more than 500 farmers in Kuala Besut.

The ministry, he said, would provide an additional RM2 million to improve the irrigation facilities in a padi farming area covering about 667 hectares.

- Bernama