ABOUT 150 coastal fishermen near Parit Karang and Tanjung Gading in Muar are facing hard times after a drop in their income.
| IN SLUGGISH MODE: Some of the fishermen’s boats left anchored on the shore. |
The choppy seas, strong winds and heavy rain have led to a dwindling catch in the past one month.
Fisherman Yahya Baba, 50, said coastal fishermen who used small boats could only fish within 12 nautical miles from the shore.
"Almost all Parit Karang fishermen now face hardship due to the poor catch.
"We used to earn RM100 a day but for the past month, getting even RM30 a day has been difficult.
"The unpredictable bad weather and sea conditions are preventing us from going out to sea as we fear for our safety," he said at the fishermen's jetty recently.
Yahya, who is also the Parit Karang Fishermen's Association chairman, said if the present sea conditions remained until the end of the year, fishermen would also find it difficult to finance their schoolgoing children.
Another fisherman, Alias Hashim, 48, said when the school term began in 2009, fishermen, especially those with many children, would need to spend a lot of money.
"Several fishermen are living in poverty and badly need financial assistance. Although the government has drawn up many programmes to improve the lives of fishermen, they haven't brought a lot of positive changes.
"We are still hit by hardship, particularly during the rainy season when our income drops drastically," he said.
SOURCE: JOHOR BUZZ, NEW STRAITS TIMES, 10 DECEMBER 2008
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