Casting their nets

TUMPAT: At 3am, 60-year-old Rasik Jusoh is out and about, preparing his brightly painted fishing boat for another day at sea.

While the atmosphere around Pengkalan Kubor is still heavy with slumber, the fishing docks in the small town are already abuzz with activity - fishermen preparing nets, hauling storage boxes and fastening ‘bubu’, a traditional bamboo fish trap, to their boats.

“From the dock, it is about a two and a half to three hours ride out to sea. Once we’ve crossed the five nautical mile limit, we are allowed to cast our nets,” said Rasik, who operates a small zone ‘A’ boat.

On an average day, the father of nine can manage a haul of about 25 kilograms of various fish, which is then sold near the Pengkalan Kubor Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) complex.

The boats utilised by fishermen here range in size and capacity - from the smallest zone ‘A’ boats to the larger zone ‘C’ boats which are used for deep water fishing and on average, stay away from shore for more than ten days at a time.

While the preferred method is by casting nets, some fisherman also make use of ‘bubu’, a trap which is left out at sea for four to five days before being hauled up again with catch.

Fishing boat operator Tuan Yacob taking his goat out on a morning walk.