FUTURE UNCERTAIN FOR PAHANG FISH BREEDERS

Drop in river water levels, unpredictable weather affect caged fish breeding industry

Caged fish breeder Zulkafli Yahya said this started following the dry season in 2013 and 2014, and the floods, which swept away most of the cages and caused river water to be murky.

The 36-year-old, who has been breeding fish in Kampung Pangsenam here since 2007, said just when breeders were recovering from the floods, they were hit by the El Nino phenomenon, causing them to suffer more losses.

“These days, the weather is unpredictable. Sometimes, the river experiences high tide several times a week. And, farmers usually face problems when there is a sudden drop in river water level.

“The farm here used to have 200 cages. Now, we have only 52 cages. The floods in 2014 and 2015 hit the caged fish industry badly and changed the river’s course.

“When it rains, the water level rise and river water will be murky. During low tide, the water level will drop, leaving fish in shallow waters.”

He said a full harvest season usually lasted six to seven months.

He said it was tough for breeders to meet orders placed by restaurants, and some of them were forced to team up.

He said most breeders now preferred to sell fish to customers who stopped at their roadside stalls.

“Some breeders supply fish to restaurants in Kuala Lumpur up to three times a week. If the production continues to drop, how are we going to meet the demand?

“I dare not imagine what is in store for the industry in the future.”

Temerloh Youth Council chairman Saharuddin Ahmad, 32, said in the past, he and members of the council used to harvest up to a tonne of per cage.

He said now, it took about eight months to harvest 1kg of the fish, compared with six months previously.

“Previously, we could earn RM5,000 per cage. Now, we earn RM3,000.”

Temerloh Bhd Caged Fish Breeders and Fishermen Cooperative to worry about cages being swept away during floods, or fish dying during the dry season.

“Fibreglass tanks can last up to 15 years, compared with the seven years of a fish cage.”

Caged fish breeder Zakaria Hussin, 47, described the new technology as “easier said than done” as the cost to install the piping to pump river water and drain it back into the river would be expensive.

“Breeders are open to new ideas, but our concern is the cost and whether the technology can guarantee the quality of fish harvested.

“At the moment, demand is great, but supply remains uncertain due to several factors, including pollution, sand mining and the drop in water level in Sungai Pahang, believed to be due to logging upstream.