Coronavirus: Amateur fishermen want end to ban on going to dams

Amateur fishermen have voiced disappointment that fishing in dams has not been included in the easing of measures that came into effect on Monday.

In an announcement, they said they wanted to protest that a ban on travelling to dams for holders of special fishing permits issued by the fisheries department has not been lifted.

Amateur fishing in dams is an individual sport, they said as they urged the health ministry to reconsider.

They association added that they had written to the health ministry on January 14 but had not yet received a reply. This suggests the ministry had no logical arguments to continue the ban, they said.

And they noted the latest decree allows the opening of businesses such as hairdresser salons and barbers (which opened yesterday) and of shops that will reopen next Monday, which operate indoors and where people congregate while individual sport in nature such as amateur fishing at the dams was prohibited.