Mat Sabu urges relevant groups to play role in resolving middleman issue faced by fishermen

CHUKAI: The Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority Board and the National Fishermen's Association need to play a role in resolving the issue of "middleman” to ensure the price of fish and other seafood is affordable for all buyers.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the issue has long been a thorn in the supply chain of fishermen's catch and is one of the factors contributing to its high price, especially in the big towns.

"There is a significant price gap. When the price is cheap here (at the beach), we shouldn't feel happy because the fishermen don't get the price they deserve, like RM10 for three kilogrammes of fish because, in the Klang Valley, the same fish may cost RM13 per kg. Here I see the role of the middleman is still strong.

"We hope the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority Board and the National Fishermen's Association can play a role in ensuring that price at the beach commensurates with the price sold in the big towns,” he said when met at the Madani Santai programme with fishermen at the LKIM Fisheries Complex here, on Thursday (Nov 30).

Meanwhile, Mohamad said a total of 500 fishermen will benefit from the RM10mil allocation provided by the government for the repair of their homes this year.

"The economy of the fishing community is relatively still low. When we look at their houses, they are in of repair. That's why the government allocated RM10mil this year to repair fishermen's houses,” he added.- Bernama