Fisheries department says it will act after damning AG report

The fisheries department is in hot water after the auditor general’s office (AG) issued a report highlighting a series of violations and irregularities.

The report, released on Monday, prompted a response from the department on Tuesday which said that it fully respects the AG’s office and will proceed with an action plan to resolve the issues identified.

A running theme in the AG office’s report is that the agriculture ministry was consistently intervening in areas which did not fall within its remit, exceeding its jurisdiction.

It pointed to incidents such as granting permission for daily berthing for leisure boats in Paralimni and aiming to reduce docking fees.

In the report, the AG’s office found that penalty points were deducted from a person’s license by a former agriculture minister without adequate justification, in violation of the relevant decree.

In a similar case, the AG’s office said that a vessel was granted permission to dock during the winter period at a fishing vessel spot – under the instructions of the agriculture ministry, a move which does not fall within its purview.

The officer was similarly alarmed by the ministry granting C grade fishing boat licences to owners of small boats who had previously been denied A and B grade licences.

It also pointed to a lack of action being taken against vessels illegally docked at spots for fishing boats.

For its part, the fisheries department said that the action plan will include clear timeframes for it to hit targets, but urged the public to read the AG’s report in its entirety before casting judgement.