Tamsui Fisherman’s Association announced that a fisherman has finally been nominated to look after the keys to the Muslim prayer room at New Taipei City’s Xiaguzi Fishing Port, which can now be used from Tuesday. The prayer room which is located in the newly built fishing warehouse, officially opened in April, but fishermen, many of whom are migrant workers, said they had since been unable to use it.
The association’s Secretary Li Ming-ching (李名慶) says the fisherman nominated by the migrant fishermen community would be able to manage the opening and closing times of the prayer room. Li said the association had been trying to gather the fishermen to nominate someone with the help of bilingual intermediaries for some time. However, the process was delayed due to the difficulty of organizing with the migrant workers’ different fishing schedules and the port not being as organized as larger ones.
Li also said that the association is currently addressing the issue of the lack of public toilets and showers at Xiaguzi Fishing Port. He said the association will ask New Taipei City’s fisheries office and the Fisheries Agency to see if they can assist with installing sanitary facilities.