The places they fished in used to yield an abundance of marine catch. Those were the lubuk, defined as a deep part of the river or sea or where the water swirled and pulled objects to the centre.
The fishermen of Gelang Patah in Johor said that was before reclamation activities and a coastal development decimated fish populations and their livelihoods.
They are now forced to go farther out to sea and often times return empty-handed.
Met at Pendekar Laut Fishermen Jetty in Kampung Pendas Laut, the men shared their thoughts and hardships related to the issue.
Mohd Jainuddin Mohd Rosli, 48, said the nearby fishing zones were bountiful prior to the start of the multibillion-ringgit waterfront development project in 2014.
Back then, he could easily catch 40kg of flower crab, known locally as ketam renjong, at a time.
Where the project now stands, he said the waters were once rich with marine life as the area was flush with algae, seaweed, worms and plant matter on which fish and crustaceans fed.
“We yearn for the good old days when we did not have to go far to land a good catch,” said Mohd Jainuddin, who had been fishing in these waters for over 30 years.
According to him, in the past, even a short 2.7 nautical miles (5km) from the jetty yielded a plentiful harvest of crabs.
He said fishermen now had to travel farther, to the port areas or even up to the country’s border, to make a living.
“I consider myself lucky if I come back with 10kg of crabs now.
“Most of the time, the catch is smaller or even zero.”
He said that apart from land reclamation along Gelang Patah shores, similar ongoing activities in the neighbouring country also caused deterioration and damage to the area’s marine ecosystem.
Mohd Khairul Anwar Abd Rahman, 38, who has been fishing since his early teens, said there used to be four lubuk in the nearby waters.
“We just went to the lubuk as there was plenty of fish waiting for us.”
He recalled that fishermen were previously able to catch about 200kg of stingray from one area.
He added, “The lubuk of Pulau Merambong, Tanjung Adang, Mat Shah and Kelong Lampu Pam are now just a fading memory.”
Part of the disruption and damage to the marine ecosystem, said Mohd Khairul, was due to the white sand used for land reclamation activities.
He said the seabed was once covered with natural black sand and sea mud.
“The white sand seabed is no longer rich in food for fish and other marine life, so they have been driven away.”
He also said that the reclamation project was located on what was once a sanctuary for fish and crustaceans to spawn and lay their eggs, in waters rich in seaweed.
The area teemed with fish such as bawal (pomfret), kerapu (grouper), bandang susu (milk fish), tebal pipi (spotted silver grunter), stingray, flower crabs and sea prawns, he said.
“The Johor Straits on the Gelang Patah side is getting narrower and the undercurrent is slower due to land reclamation,” he added.
Mohd Khairul said the modern development had caused fish and marine life to disappear from the area, shrinking what were once bountiful fishing zones.
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