Disagreement arises between fishermen and Fisheries Department on banned usage of beam trawl
MIRI: There is a disagreement between local fishermen and Fisheries Department on the usage of ‘ pakak tunda’ ( beam trawl) to catch ‘ bubuk’ ( krill shrimps) during its season – the peak of which is next month.
According to state Fisheries Department director Belayong Nyuak, beam trawl carries the risk of destroying the breeding grounds of small marine life, including the ‘bubuk’.
“For the record, the equipment is banned under the Fisheries Department Act 1985. It has been in effect here since last year. The usage of ‘pakak tunda’ has been known to cause destruction of the breeding grounds of small marine life,” he said during a dialogue on bubuk-fishing yesterday involving some 100 fishermen from across Kuala Baram to Niah, as well as local representatives of the Marine Police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Fisheries Department.
Adding on, Belayong said by not using beam trawl, the fishermen could help preserve the balance in the sea, in that the breeding grounds of the small marine life would not be disturbed.
“This way, there would be more catch in the long run, benefitting the fishermen along the way,” he said.
However, the majority of the fishermen argued that the beam trawl was not the culprit.
Abdul Mutalib Jaluddin of Kampung Batu Satu in Lutong said he had been catching shrimps since 1975 and so far, the number of ‘bubuk’ was not decreasing.
“The real problem is the Class B and C vessels encroaching into the shallow shorelines to catch fish. They are the reason why the ‘bubuk’ catch seems to be getting lesser and lesser these days,” he said.
Moreover, he said the bubuk season was not a long one – running between February and March – and as such, many fishermen took the opportunity to catch the shrimps to supplement their incomes.
“The ban on ‘pakak tunda’ would adversely impact the fishermen’s livelihood. They are already struggling to make ends meet every month.
“In this regard, I am appealing on behalf of my fellow fishermen for the department to help in lifting the ban. Perhaps, they (Fisheries Department) could appeal to Putrajaya during their next meeting to be reconsider ( lifting the ban on beam trawl),” said Abdul Mutalib.
Another fisherman, Dawi Che of Kampung Muhibbah in Kuala Baram, said there was no issue of harming marine life as far as beam trawl was concerned.
Like Abdul Mutalib, he pinned the blame on operators of Class B and C fishing vessels.
“The Class B and C (vessels) should fish in the deep waters, not along the coastal shores. They are the cause of the problem.
“In this regard, we hope that the relevant authorities would look deeper into this matter. We, the fishermen who are in the lowerincome group, are the ones who suffer,” he said.
In response, Belayong assured the fishermen that his side would look into the matter and bring it up in the next meeting in Putrajaya.
Adding on, he also informed them that the usage of the regular ‘pakak’ (scoop net) and ‘sobor’ (scoop net attached to boats) to catch ‘bubuk’ was permitted.
“These mechanisms (‘pakak’ and ‘sobor’) are allowed as they don’t harm the small marine life,” he said.
It is learned that a kilogramme of ‘bubuk’ goes for RM8. These krill shrimps are used in a variety of products, but the most popular is in the making of ‘belacan’ (shrimp paste) and ‘cincaluk’ (fermented krill shrimps).
According to Belayong, his department has registered and licensed 72 ‘bubuk’ vessels here, and 23 in Bintulu.
Meanwhile, Belayong said so far, the department had not received any complaint about foreign fishermen – particularly the Suluks – illegally entering the state waters this year. “Still, we are keeping our eyes open. We continue to work together with the relevant agencies to nab these foreign fishermen should we find them catching fish in Sarawak waters.