MELAKA, The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has approved an RM300,000 allocation for a programme to anchor fish aggregating devices, locally referred to as unjam, outside the waters of Melaka Marine Park. State Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the programme is expected to be implemented in November and is currently in the process of completing the unjam. 'The state government is concerned about the issues raised by fishermen about the difficulties they face in catching seafood, as fishing has been completely prohibited in the area since it was gazetted last year. 'Therefore, we are requesting funds from KPKM to anchor unjam outside the area to enhance fishing resources and make it easier for fishermen to catch seafood,' he told reporters after the Artificial Reef Anchoring Programme at Pulau Dodol waters today. According to Dr Muhamad Akmal, the Melaka Marine Park spans one nautical mile in waters surrounding the gazetted island s of Pulau Dodol, Pulau Nangka, and Pulau Undan. Meanwhile, he said 12 artificial reefs, worth RM374,510, were anchored in the waters of Pulau Dodol during today's programme. 'Since 2008, a total of 78 artificial reefs have been anchored in the waters of Pulau Besar and the Melaka Marine Park, with a total value exceeding RM1.5 million,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency