The Malaysian Insight

PENANG fishermen have poured scorn on Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin’s proposal to take up seafood farming as marine stocks are depleting from overfishing.

They questioned the feasibility of Sim’s suggestion, asking if he really understands agricultural issues.

Penang Fishermen’s Association chairman Nazri Ahmad said there are no suitable areas for fish breeding in the state’s waters, adding that it brings only little profit to those who do it on a small scale.

They do not have the financial capital to begin aquaculture farming on a large scale, he said.

“The set-up is costly, beginning at between RM4 million and RM5 million.

“It can be done on a small scale, with a capital of between RM100,000 and RM200,000. But it won’t be worth it. There won’t be profits as the cost of operations and maintenance will be high,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Last week, Sim, who is also Bayan Baru MP, urged traditional fishermen to make the switch to fish breeding or aquaculture farming to improve their earnings.

He also described fish farming as “the sustainable thing to do”.

Traditional fishermen in Penang are finding it harder to land catch the way they used to as stocks are in decline due to overfishing and water pollution.

Nazri has been leading the island’s fishermen in protests against the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project that will create three man-made islands covering more than 1,800ha, to be sold to fund the Penang Transport Master Plan.

Fishermen have argued that their reduced catch in recent years was due to earlier reclamation projects around the island, and fear that PSR will be the last nail in their coffin. They have also warned that Malaysians can expect costlier seafood as the project will affect fish breeding grounds.

Meanwhile, fish farming north of Penang Island, in Teluk Bahang, has not been faring well. In less than a year, farms there have seen massive fish deaths.

Farmers said the problem lies in seawater polluted by sediment from dredging and waste dumping, while the state government has merely cited low oxygen levels as the cause pending Universiti Sains Malaysia experts’ verification.

Nazri, when met in George Town recently after a forum on PSR’s impact, said traditional fishermen will not be able to break into the aquaculture business without financial assistance.

Even then, he said, the fishing community is adamant that the project be stopped.

“Sim may give us RM5 million each to become fish farmers, but we are still opposed to the land reclamation.

“Penang waters are already so polluted, and PSR will worsen the situation. It won’t matter whether you are a traditional fisherman or an aquaculture farmer.

“The best waters for fish breeding used to be near Pulau Jerejak and Sg Udang, but now, both areas are too close to the PSR project area.

“So, where else should we set up aquaculture farms?”

Land- and river-based aquaculture are easier said than done, he said, as building ponds require several factors, such as good water quality and river flow, as well as a large capital.

Despite protests, PSR has been given the green light by the Environment Department with more than 20 conditions, which civil society groups have demanded the Penang government reveal to the public. – September 20, 2019.