Stormy weather affecting incomes


Photos By ZAZALI MUSA

Coastal fishermen in Gelang Patah report that their catch has reduced.

COASTAL fishermen in Gelang Patah in Johor have no choice but to work in rough sea conditions and heavy rain for their survival.

Fisherman Mohd Hafiza Abu Talib said the four months period from October until January was the most challenging time for the fishing community.

“We depend on the sea for our livelihood as this is the only job we know,” he said when met at the Kampung Pendas Laut fishermen’s jetty in Iskander Puteri, which is the landing point for coastal fishermen from nearby villages.

Mohd Hafiza, who started going out to sea at the age of 14, said he would stay home for two days during stormy weather.

However, by the third day, the father of seven said he would start to feel restless.

He said fishing was a gamble as they could come back empty-handed.

“The weather can turn bad in a matter of seconds, and so can the sea.”

Mohd Jainudin remembers when the waters off Gelang Patah used to be a breeding ground for fish and crustaceans.Mohd Jainudin remembers when the waters off Gelang Patah used to be a breeding ground for fish and crustaceans.

He also lamented that the waters off Gelang Patah are no longer rich with marine life such as prawns and fish.

Mohd Hafiza said that apart from climate change, the Gelang Patah fishing grounds have shrunk due to major land reclamation projects in Johor and Singapore.

“Previously, we did not have to go far to fish.

“Now, we have to venture out 10km, up to Tanjung Piai,” he said.

Mohd Jainudin Mohd Rosli said gone were the days when Gelang Patah fishermen would come back with a bountiful catch.

He said the mangrove ecosystem and seagrass meadows acted as sanctuaries for marine species.

“They provided food sources for local communities and fishing areas for local fishermen but not anymore,” he said.

Mohd Jainudin said he was grateful to come back with a relatively good catch nowadays.

Pasar Pendekar Laut (Sea Warriors’ Market) supervisor Mohd Ridhwan Azizi Mohd Sharif said locals and Singaporeans had started buying sea prawns from November last year.

“When the price is cheap, they buy prawns and keep them in the freezer, to be eaten during Chinese New Year eve reunion dinners,” he said.

He noted that the fishermen had brought in fewer prawns due to rough seas and heavy rain.

Prawns were sold for about RM60 to RM70 per kilogramme in November, he added.

Currently, prawn prices have risen to between RM100 and RM130 per kilogramme.

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