The Malaysian Insight

A DIESEL shortage might force those with a budget to consider forsaking the tradition of serving prawns and fish for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner

Chinese Malaysians are finding it hard to procure fish, which are reported to be in short supply and so costly only the rich can afford them.

Prices are said to have gone up by 100% as demand soars.

Fishermen said the lack of supply is because of a diesel shortage and not the monsoon, which makes it dangerous to go out to sea.

The monsoon is an annual occurrence for which they usually prepared by freezing part of their catches to ensure a sufficient supply for the Lunar New Year, they said.

However, from October to the end of December, fishermen were not given their full quota of diesel for their boats.

The Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) is reported to have reduced the supply of 2.88 million litres of subsidised diesel to fishermen in the country, forcing them to cut down their fishing trips or stop going out to sea altogether.

That, the fishermen said, resulted in a sharp reduction in the stock of fish usually prepared for the festival.

Fishermen in the peninsula said the reduced diesel quota will have an effect beyond just a short supply of seafood during the Chinese New Year.

LKIM did not consult the fishermen before cutting their diesel supply, Malaysia Fish Industry General Association president Chia Tian Hee told The Malaysian Insight.

Chia, who is also the Sekinchan Fishermen and Fish Traders’ Welfare Association chairman, said LKIM based the allocation of diesel on the 2016 figures and, therefore, only 795 fishing boats were given fuel.

He said the number of fishing boats in January increased by 170 to 965 boats.

But LKIM decreased the diesel quota because it had used the 2016 figures.

Fishermen will incur huge losses if they are to make up for the shortfall by buying “industrial diesel” at RM2.10 per litre, compared with the subsidised diesel at RM1.65 per litre, Chia said.

“We don’t know what to do. We are at our wit’s end. We feel like crying.

“The fishing boats are docked at the ports for days on end waiting for their diesel supply.”

Chia said supply had been adequate before the diesel cut.

“A week to the New Year and we have no fish or seafood to sell. Fortunately, we had a little store of fish and prawns stocked up.”

The fish of choice for the reunion dinner is the white, Chinese or silver pomfret.

Chia said LKIM recently promised to look into the diesel shortage.

Fishermen in Hutan Melintang, who have been hardest hit, received their supply of fuel a few days ago.

But those in Sekinchan, he said, are still without theirs.

Hai Suah Hutan Melintang Association president Lee Chu Soi said the seafood shortage is due to smaller catches.

Lee said compared with last year, this year’s catch is about 30% smaller.

Most of the seafood currently sold is frozen stock from three months ago, he said.

On the diesel cut, Lee said the 700 type C fishing boats in Hutan Melintang actually require more than the 10 million litres they their request.

“That’s barely even adequate.”

LKIM, he said, reduced the supply from eight million litres to six million litres last year.

“We asked for 10 million litres of diesel, but the fisheries development agency won’t give it to us.”

One Hutan Melintang fisherman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fishermen from the biggest fish port in Peninsular Malaysia were not treated well.

“Yes, we sometimes are forced to buy the industrial diesel fuel even though the price is higher.

“There’s nothing much we can do. We need to go out to sea. We have a living to make.”

Fishermen in the village of Sekinchan ran out of diesel in December, Chia Tian Hee said.

Some Sekinchan boats, he said, risk running aground in the shallows of Sg Besar and Tg Karang to refuel.

In the fishing port of Nibong Tebal, a “big” Chinese pomfret costs RM130-160, and a “small” one about RM45. A white pomfret fetches RM60-75.

In some ports, the fish are sold in buckets at RM120-130 per kg.

Frozen jumbo prawns range from RM60-80 per kg.

A Nibong Tebal fisherman, who wishes to be known as “Mr Koh”, said the fish and prawns caught there had dropped by 80% this year.

“Chinese people like fresh seafood, so they snap up what is freshly caught.

“It’s hard to avoid price spikes. Climate change and fewer fishermen in the port are some of the factors for the drop in fish catches.”

That, Mr Koh said, has caused the demand for fish to increase by 100% and prawns by 60%. – February 4, 2019.