Shallow River Mouth Leaves Pantai Siring Fishermen Struggling To Make Ends Meet

By Nursuraya Zulkifli

JASIN, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- For fishermen at Pantai Siring, Pulai, here, making ends meet has become a daily struggle as the shallow river mouth forces them to wait for favourable tidal conditions before venturing out to sea.

Rizuan Abu Samah, 43, lamented that the build-up of silt had made the river mouth increasingly shallow, making it difficult for fishing boats to navigate during low tide and putting those returning late at risk of becoming stranded.

“We might be able to head out to sea at 7 am today, but tomorrow it could be 8 am. It all depends on the tides, and if we return too late, our boat could become stranded.

“There are days when we only get an hour to fish before heading back to shore, and we have to wait until the evening tide to go out again,” he told Bernama.

Rizuan also urged the authorities to upgrade the jetty in the area, which was built nearly 15 years ago, expressing concern over its deteriorating condition.

He said the deteriorating condition of the facilities also raised safety concerns, particularly for children in the area.

Rizuan also stressed the need to upgrade and extend the existing breakwater to better protect fishing boats entering and leaving the area, especially during rough seas.

Another fisherman, Mohd Amin Mohd Yatim, 55, said the shallow, muddy river mouth not only hampered boat movements but also increased the risk of damage to vessels and their engines, adding to the financial burden on fishermen.

“We hope the authorities will pay serious attention to the problems faced by local fishermen and take the necessary action to protect our livelihoods,” said Mohd Amin, who has been a fisherman for more than 30 years.

Raduan Bodot, 62, who has worked as a fisherman for more than five decades, said the increasingly limited fishing grounds had also affected traditional fishing activities in the area.

“Some fishermen have spent a lot of money on boats and fishing gear, including nets, but they are not earning enough to make up for what they have spent because fishing grounds are becoming increasingly limited,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Serkam state seat, Muhammad Faiq Azman, said addressing the challenges faced by fishermen in Pantai Siring would be among the issues he planned to tackle if given the mandate in the 16th Melaka State Election.

He said the concerns raised by the local fishing community needed to be taken seriously and properly addressed, as fishing was their main source of income.

The Election Commission has fixed Nov 14 as polling day for the Melaka state election, with early voting set for Nov 10.

For updates on the state election, visit https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/.

--BERNAMA