DUNGUN: The Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) is stockpiling about 1,900 tonnes of frozen fish in preparation for the monsoon season.
Its chairman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil said this is to ensure an adequate supply of protein-rich food and to maintain stable market prices during the Northeast Monsoon season from November until next March.
"Typically, the supply of fresh fish will decrease during the monsoon season because fishermen on the East Coast are unable to go out to sea.
"Therefore, we have taken steps to store frozen fish stocks in collaboration with private intermediaries like the sector's middlemen. The private sector is stocking up 1,600 tonnes while we are storing 300 tonnes.
"There should be no issue of increases in the price of fish. We will cooperate with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry if there are attempts to manipulate prices," he said at its Rahmah Mesra Madani programme with the fishermen community at Dungun Complex here on Thursday (Oct 9).
Also present was its Terengganu director Ahmad Nazri @ Abd Zaim Madri.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Faiz also said that the board has built 68 new houses and repaired 212 fishermen's homes this year with an allocation of RM10mil.
He said Terengganu was the highest recipient of the Fishermen's Housing Special Project with an allocation of RM2.02mil.
"In Terengganu, 17 fishermen received new homes while 30 others had their houses repaired. Each repair costs up to RM20,000 while the cost of constructing new houses is around RM84,000," he said. – Bernama
