THE CONTROVERSY over impact of reclamation works on fishing grounds off the southern coast of Penang island has taken a new turn after the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) indicated that there is no evidence pointing to a drop in seafood catches in the sea there.
Its chairperson Muhammad Faiz Fadzil said that there is no scientific data to back up an assertion that there has been a reduction in catches following the commencement of reclamation for the Silicon Island project late last year.
However, he did acknowledge that LKIM is aware that the reclamation may cause inshore fishermen to suffer a drop in catches in the area referred to as Zone A.
"LKIM has taken note of the need for Penang to establish a strategic project called Silicon Island. This is in tandem with the rapid growth that Penang is enjoying," he said.
It is estimated that up to RM210 billion worth of investments have flowed into Penang in the past five years, generating many spillovers, said Faiz, a former assemblyman for Permatang Pasir, yesterday.
The son of the late former PAS president Datuk Fadzil Noor noted that Penang also registered the country's highest economic growth among all states at 6.8 percent in 2021.
To ensure sustainable growth, he stressed, the state needs to undertake new stimulants for the economy. Hence, the focus on reclaiming an island called Silicon Island, Faiz said.
"LKIM was formed to safeguard the rights and interests of fishermen,” he said. “The seafood sector is an integral part of the food industry.
"Although there is supposed to be a drop in catches in Zone A, LKIM is assured that fishermen (in Penang) can travel further away (into the sea) with better equipment and boats.
"Their catches are supposed to increase if they venture more into the ocean," said Faiz.
He added that with the assistance of project developer Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd, LKIM has ventured to modernise the fleet operated by the local inshore fishermen, especially those affected by the reclamation.
Besides procuring new modern equipment such as boats, GPS devices and online fish finding systems, the fishermen’s vessels have also been upgraded to handle strong waves when venturing further into the seas.
He assured that LKIM is engaging the fishermen and other stakeholders to gauge if seafood catches begin to drop in lieu of the reclamation.
Thus far, the data extracted shows that there is no evidence to indicate that the ongoing works have depleted the marine resources at the reclamation site, particularly prawns, he stressed.
The trend shows levels moving “up and down”, which has no relation to the reclamation.
The data shows that from September to October last year, there was a surge in catches exceeding 3,381.07kg
In December, the catches for prawns exceeded 4,000 kg, which is even higher than before reclamation began, Faiz noted.
It is beginning to be clear that there is no co-relation between the reclamation and seafood catches off Batu Maung, he stressed.
“LKIM is therefore seeking for a holistic approach towards ensuring that the fishermen here have better catches and hence more income," said Faiz.
Recently, environmental group Pertubuhan Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (Jedi) said that there has been a significant decline in catch rates, especially for high-value shrimp, reported by the fisherfolk since the commencement of the reclamation in September 2023.
The local Sungai Batu fishermen’s unit has reported its observation that the average shrimp catch was 191.22kg in January 2021, 284.54kg in January 2022, and 286.04kg in January 2023.
However, after works began the harvest dropped to 120.91kg in January 2024, the unit reported.
In light of these findings, Jedi urged the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Environment to conduct an immediate investigation into the reported low shrimp catches by unit and other affected fisherfolk.
The activist group expressed solidarity with the remaining fisherfolk who oppose the ongoing reclamation works for Silicon Island. — The Vibes, March 23,2024.
