Pontian fishermen showcase their lifestyle to earn extra income

Visitors being taken to see how cockles are harvested at Pulai Sebatang rivermouth in Pontian.

COCKLE fishermen in Pulai Sebatang, Pontian, have banded together to turn their village into an eco-tourism destination to generate extra income.

Ismail Mohd Hassan said the idea came after the group made a working visit to Batam, Indonesia last year to see how traditional fishermen generate side income during the monsoon season.

“We went to Tanjung Pinang and Tanjung Balai.

“During those visits, we were taught how the fishing community there created a system to showcase to tourists their lifestyle and day-to-day activities as sea fishermen.

Ismail says the group was inspired by efforts of fishing villages in Batam, Indonesia.

“The initial idea was to make the mangrove forest in Pulai Sebatang similar to Kukup National Park, where people would pay a ferry fee and walk around the mangrove area.

“But that would have hurt the boatmen’s income, so we decided to adapt what we learned during our visit to Indonesia,” he said.

Ismail added that Pontian District Council had approved the idea and allocated RM150,000 to upgrade the jetty and stations at Sungai Pulai Sebatang and the mangrove area.

“All of us are fishermen under the MyKomuniti Perikanan (MyKP), but to manage this new venture, we decided to create an association called My Kerang Pulai Sebatang.

“We started with a simple river tour last January.

“For a minimum payment of RM55, visitors are taken on a cruise along the 1km river to see the ecosystem there.

“They are then taken to the mangrove forest and shown how fishermen collect mangrove snails and mudcrabs.

“The trip continues to the Pulai Sebatang shoreline where we demonstrate how cockles are harvested before returning to the jetty to show them the cockle-sorting process.”

Ismail, who is also association chairman, said work to upgrade the jetty was 80% complete.

“We expect to be fully operational by first quarter of next year.

“At the moment, we are accepting bookings and working to determine the best travel times as the river can only be accessed by an engine-powered boat during high-tide.

“At low tide, we recommend guests go kayaking instead,” he said, adding that such activities would also be led by local fishermen.

He said the programme was supported by Johor Fisheries Department and the state government.