Climate crisis jeopardises local fishermen’s livelihood
Published on: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
By:
FMT, Tan Chin Tung
Dwindling catches due to climate change are threatening the livelihood of fishermen at Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani in Sabak Bernam, Selangor.
KUALA SELANGOR: With more than 30 years’ experience in the fishing industry, Lim Hock Tiong once believed that nothing out in the sea could faze him.
That was until one of his fishing boats capsized in the Malacca Strait last year due to adverse weather conditions.
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“My workers anchored the boat and went to sleep. The wind suddenly picked up in the middle of the night, and by the time they woke up, it was too late.
“Two strong waves overturned the boat, but luckily, no one was hurt,” he said.
Lim, the village head of Kampung Bagan Sungai Kajang in Selangor, added that the incident cost him thousands of ringgit and left him traumatised.
“Right now, whenever I see that the wind is picking up and the sky is darkening, I don’t dare take my chances. I will turn my boat back. I have learned my lesson after the first time,” he said.
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The shift in normal weather patterns, which Lim noticed a few years ago, has impacted the livelihoods of his fellow fishermen, who sometimes have to risk their lives to earn their keep.
“The weather changes really dramatically these days. You can’t wait until the weather has calmed down to go out into the sea. It is not possible because it picks up every day.
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“So, it is just a matter of when it happens and how long we can be out in the sea,” he said.
Nadia Rajaram of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health said fishery is one of the primary industries in Malaysia threatened by climate change.
“Not being able to predict the weather for fishing leads to poorer yields and is dangerous for the fishermen,” she told FMT.
“No yield means no income generated and no food on the table.”
No fish in the sea
Fisherman Zulkanain Saidek, part of the Fisheries Network Leader programme in Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani, said the size of his catch has been dwindling since July.
“Before July, our catch each month sold for at least RM500. Right now, it’s difficult for us to even get to RM500,” he told FMT.
Rajaram said this might be due to the increasing temperature and acidity of the sea, which leads to coral bleaching and reef degradation.
This would, in turn, force marine creatures that depended on coral reefs for shelter and food to migrate in search of more favourable conditions.
She said ocean acidification happens when carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere, resulting in the greenhouse gas dissolving into the seawater rapidly and lowering its pH.
Aside from a smaller yield, Zulkanain also said he had to venture further afield to set up his fishing net as his normal catch of Chinese Pomfret, mullet and Indian mackerel has moved.
“For example, the fish migrated to Sekinchan and Kuala Selangor. If we go as far as Sekinchan, we have to stay longer (to make the trip worthwhile). That means if we go in the afternoon, we will only be back at around 2am,” he said.
A Global Change Biology study in 2022 warned that 45% of the world’s fish stocks are expected to migrate from their usual habitat by the end of this century, and 82% of the exclusive economic zones waters worldwide will have at least one shifting fish stock.
Meanwhile, Zulkanain said abnormally strong winds have caused at least five boats to capsize near Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani.
He hopes the government can help by raising their monthly allowance from RM300 to RM500 and cover the costs of fishing tools and boats.
“If we don’t go out to the sea, we won’t be able to make a living. We don’t get paid by the month. Our earnings depend entirely on our daily catch,” said Zulkarnian.
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