Fish caught in the waters off Pahang has dropped by almost 20% due to the smoke, which has shrouded the country for several months, said Pahang Fisheries director Adnan Hussain.
He said the low and limited visibility had resulted in fishermen not taking the risk of going out to sea.
“What worries the fishermen is when the air pollutant index hits 150; then their visibility is only about 300m.
“This can cause their boats to collide with big fishing boats or commercial vessels.”
He said the department was concerned about the safety of the more than 8,000 fishermen in the state, and reminded them to equip their boats with the global positioning system (GPS) facility and to ensure they were in good condition to avoid them getting lost due to the limited visibility.
At the same time, he said, each boat must also be equipped with signal lights so that it could be seen by other fishermen or commercial vessels to avoid collision.
Meanwhile, a coastal fisherman in Beserah, Ramly Mohd, 48, said other than the smoke, the choppy seas were also a reason for the reduced fish catch.
“Two years ago, I could earn as much as RM18,000 a month even though I am out at sea for only 18 days, but now with the haze, getting RM1,000 a month is difficult.”
He said that the limited visibility had once caused him to land at Pantai Batu Hitam instead of Beserah.
Meanwhile, Penang Fisheries Department director Abdullah Md Din said those badly affected are fishermen in Zone A (fishing within 0-5 nautical miles) because their boats lacked radar equipment.
“They are worried about colliding with other fishing boats if they go to sea due to the low visibility. This is affecting their income.”
He said the department was collecting all the information related to the problems of fishermen to be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry for further action.
He said the supply of fish in Penang was adequate but prices had gone up as fishermen were affected by the haze.
Several fishermen expressed concern as their income had dropped by 50% due to the smoke.
Khor Thiam Hoo, 54, said he still went out to sea despite the smoke as it was his only source of income.
“I have no alternative because I have to pay my crew. The catch has dropped more than 30% but we still have to get on with it as it is my livelihood.”
Thor Kean Wah, 40, said he had not gone to sea for a week because the visibility was so limited and his boat did not have GPS equipment.
“I dare not go out to sea as I fear my net may disappear if I put them out and I may not be able to find my way back to base in Kuala Jalan Baharu, Balik Pulau as the visibility is so limited.”
A fisherman in Sungai Pinang, Mohamed Rafee M. Sheriff, 51, said he had only gone to sea eight days in the whole of this month and was a very worried man as his income had dropped drastically.
“A myriad of problems crop up due to the smoke because it does not only involve visibility but also our health. So, I hope the authorities concerned will tackle the problem for the continuous survival of coastal fishermen like us.”
2015 Edge Insider Sdn Bhd.