A comprehensive assessment of the state of Penang fisheries is underway. Penangfishermen PSR PenangSouthIslands PenangInfrastructureCorporation PenangStateGovernment PermatangDamarLaut SungaiBatu TelukKumbar GertakSanggul reclamation
With the proposal to reclaim 1,821ha of land around the southern part of Penang island in the form of three islands, the wellbeing of fishermen residing around the area has received comprehensive attention from the state government as it looks at how to manage the various dimensions of creating Islands A, B, and C from the sea.
Artisanal fishermen making a living in the southern part of Penang island usually arrive at their usual fishing spots in 15 to 25 minutes, depending on what they intend to catch that day. Zeroing in at landings by artisanal fishermen in the areas that are expected to be impacted by the PSR – namely Sungai Batu, Teluk Tempoyak, Teluk Kumbar, Permatang Damar Laut and Gertak Sanggul – the contribution is even smaller. In 2018, the artisanal fishermen there brought in a mere 1,317.41 tonnes, or 1.5% of Penang’s fish production that year. In contrast, trawlers calling at the Batu Maung fishery port landed 12,100.7 tonnes that year, or 9.2 times more.
They are not wrong, as official fisheries data showed that when the Seri Tanjung Pinang 2 reclamation in Tanjung Tokong on Penang island began in 2016, fish landing increased by almost 15% compared to the previous year, from 49,783 tonnes in 2015, to 57,013 tonnes in 2016. “When the Bayan Lepas area was developed, there were also murmurs of discontent, but then, their children and grandchildren ended up working in the very factories built on the reclaimed land that hosts the industrial park,” said Idris, who added that what is objected to today will be embraced years down the road, as far as development in Penang is concerned.
The declining number of registered fishermen at Permatang Damar Laut, Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul over the past five years suggests that more are giving up this extremely hard life. According to data from the Fisheries Department, there were 691 of them in 2015, but only 496 of them are left now – a significant drop of 37%.
“Some days, you may get several hundred ringgit in income. Other days, the takings are not enough to cover the cost of fuel and rations. It is no surprise that these fishermen are heavily reliant on fuel subsidies and cost of living allowances from the government, other than the occasional side job.“As a fisherman, I have no EPF, no payslip, no savings, no job security, which became a problem when I wanted to apply for a housing loan. This is one reason a good number of artisanal fishermen rent their houses,” he said.
“The remaining are either fence sitters, or those who oppose, but I think there is a silent majority who is able to see their own future as well, but are too afraid or embarrassed to openly voice their support for the project as they fear retribution,” he said.
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