Mersing Fishermen Brave Haze To Continue Earning A Living

By Nur Faradilla Mohamad

MERSING, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Fishermen in Mersing continue to head out to sea to earn a living despite haze that has reduced visibility, taking extra precautions to avoid accidents while relying on technology such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) to navigate.

A Bernama survey at the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) Endau Fisheries Complex found that fishermen were continuing their fishing activities as usual, with catches remaining unaffected so far.

Fisherman Wan Mohamad Amin Firdaus Wan Ya, 31, said the haze had made nearby islands difficult to see from the sea, but GPS, particularly on larger boats, helped fishermen determine their positions and continue working despite the limited visibility.

“So far, our catches have been normal, but during the haze, even the islands are difficult to see. My health has also been affected... I experienced coughing and fever recently,” he told Bernama at the complex today.

Originally from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Wan Mohamad Amin, who has lived in Endau for about seven years, said the technology gave fishermen greater confidence to continue their activities when visibility was poor.

Fisherman Syukri Yaacob, 48, said the haze required greater vigilance at sea to avoid colliding with other boats.

“We are still fishing as usual, but visibility is rather limited during the haze... we are also worried about not being able to see other boats,” he said.

The father of two, who has more than 20 years of experience as a fisherman, said he usually spent up to 10 days at sea, with catches depending on weather conditions and currents.

Another fisherman, Zainuddin Mohd, 46, said the haze had not stopped him from pursuing the livelihood that had supported his family for more than 30 years.

“Visibility is limited, but we must always be careful because we are worried about the risk of illness... otherwise, we may not be able to go out to sea to earn a living,” said Zainuddin, a father of two from Terengganu.

Endau Area Fishermen's Association general manager Abdul Manaf A Aziz said fishermen continued to go out to sea as usual, and the association had not received any reports of haze-related incidents involving fishermen.

He said catches had been increasing recently due to the abundance of fish, but fishermen had been advised to exercise greater caution because of the limited visibility.

“Boats are going out to sea as usual, but fishermen need to be more careful to avoid unwanted incidents,” he said, adding that the association had not received any reports of accidents at sea so far.

As of 9 am today, 27 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with Pasir Gudang, Johor, registering the highest reading at 177.

According to the Department of Environment's (DOE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, other affected areas included Kota Tinggi at 166, Larkin (164), Pengerang (162), Batu Pahat (154), Kluang (152) and Tangkak (151).

-- BERNAMA