Parit Jawa fishermen see 65% drop in catch due to trawlers, sand mining

 Fishermen in the area who could previously earn up to RM200,000 a year now struggle to get even RM30,000.

One fisherman claimed that nearly half of the fishermen in Parit Jawa are facing financial constraints, with many leaving the trade as a whole.

MUAR:

Fishermen in Parit Jawa here claim to have seen a 65% decrease in their catch over the past 10 years due to the destruction of fish breeding areas by sand mining and fishing trawlers.

They urged the authorities to take sterner action on trawlers, which are not allowed in the area, and to review the approval of sand mining activities near breeding grounds.

Marizal Ibrahim.

Marizal Ibrahim, 47, said fishermen in the area could previously earn up to RM200,000 a year. Now, just earning RM30,000 the entire year is a tall order, he said.

He claimed that nearly half of the fishermen in Parit Jawa were facing financial constraints, with some forced to sell their boats as they could no longer afford the operational costs.

“We have been facing these two issues for years. Fishing trawlers are still entering restricted areas. We have lodged multiple complaints but no effective action has been forthcoming.

“And the area in which we can fish is growing smaller because of sand mining. We can only go about 12 nautical miles from the coast,” he told FMT.

Marizal said fishermen with large fishing vessels spent hundreds each time they ventured out to sea, while their nets alone cost tens of thousands of ringgit.

“If we only catch RM100 worth of fish, how can we recoup our costs?”

He suggested setting up a fishermen’s market managed by the fishermen to provide a dedicated venue for fishermen to sell their catch.

He said the involvement of third parties often meant it was tough to sell their locally caught fish as they had to compete with supply from other states, including Perlis and Perak.

“While it’s the trader’s right (to decide what fish they want to sell), if the market is in an area with fishermen, the local catch should be given priority.

“Many fishermen have given up on the trade. Some have decided to become farmers or do odd jobs in the village. The youth have no interest in becoming fishermen as they see no future in the trade.”

Alif Laam Min Azhar.

Fellow fisherman Alif Laam Min Azhar, 27, said Parit Jawa’s fishing industry needed to be holistically developed without depending solely on the catch of fishermen.

He said there needed to be better boat-landing facilities, product marketing, training, and the use of modern technology to gain the interest of the youth.

“Parit Jawa has massive potential but it needs more organised development. The process of getting boat licences should be made easier, because there’s too much bureaucracy right now.

“And without licences, we are not eligible for the diesel subsidy,” he said, expressing hope that the state government would heed their plight.

He also claimed that fishermen were promised compensation for the sand mining in the area, but had yet to receive any.

Ali Omar.

“Sometimes just earning RM50 a day is hard… If these developments are going ahead, at least provide job opportunities for fishermen who have lost their source of income,” said Alif.

Another fisherman, Ali Omar, 78, said the quality and quantity of his catch had changed drastically since the days of his youth.

He said the government’s subsidies helped, but were not enough to cover the surge in costs and decline in catch. - FMT