Panau Fishing Still Alive In Sarawak

By Amrizan Madian

MUKAH (Bernama) -- The Melanau people are skilled fishermen, as has been established since hundreds of years ago.

Even with the changing times, majority of them today are coastal fishermen whose livelihood still depend on the bounties of the South China Sea.

They live along the coastal regions of Sarawak such as Sungai Rajang, Igan, Mukah, Balingian, Tatau and Bintulu.

In Mukah, these coastal fishermen are known as panau fishermen. Panau refers to the unique method of catching fish practised only by the Melanau fishermen.

THE PANAU METHOD

Abdul Karim Lai is a License A fisherman in Mukah who still employs the panau method to catch the black pomfret, which can be abundantly found in Sarawak’s coastal waters.

“Panau fishing requires six fishermen to dive into the sea, four of whom would hold a special net while the other two would chase the fish into the net, trapping it,” he explained to Bernama.

These fishermen would have to dive 10 to 20 metres deep, and this is a diving skill that has no doubt been developed for generations among this coastal race of fisherfolk. Panau fishing dates back to over a century ago, long before the invention of the fishfinder.

Abdul Karim said that the fishermen would sail out around 10 to 20 nautical miles off the coastal waters of Mukah, Oya and Kuala Tatau before they dive in. 

The fishing would be done in an area near the unjam, a type of fish aggregating device (FAD) made from nipah palm fronds. The unjam would be dropped onto the seabed in the area several days before the men come out to fish.

Another skill that panau fishing requires is the ability to track fish that moves across the seabed as black pomfrets move in groups.

“Tihuk…that will be the cue given to those at the back of the boat to survey the waters. These men will inform the group the right time to dive in for the fish,” he explained.

TABOOS

Abdul Karim said some fishermen adhered to certain taboos when panau fishing. This includes not calling out “ikan duwai” (black pomfret) when spotting the fish and calling them by other names such as “kajang” instead.

However, not all panau fishermen subscribe to this as they believe that their livelihoods were ensured by God.

Some 100 unjam are dropped by panau fishermen in the middle of the sea and Abdul Karim’s crew are not allowed to fish in the areas outside of where their unjam were located.

He believed that fish caught using the method were tastier than others.

“The black pomfret caught using the panau method has a delicious sweetness to it, compared to those caught using other techniques like trawling or by bubu (fish trap),” said Abdul Karim.

He is now teaching the method to his children and relatives to ensure that the skill and knowledge lives on.

Panau fishing can bring in a yield of around half a tonne to a tonne of pomfrets a trip. This haul can be worth between RM3,000 and RM10,000. However, this depends on weather and sea conditions.

The catch is then sold to buyers waiting at the Mukah Jetty, before it is sold to customers at the marker for around RM20 to RM24 a kg.

Translated by Sakina Mohamed

-- BERNAMA