Only 4% of fish caught in Penang are from reclamation area, says CM
GEORGE TOWN: Penang today said claims that fishing would drop as a result of reclamation on the southern coast was unlikely, as the area only contributed 4% to the fish landing as at 2015. Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said this was at a time in 2015 when Penang was…
GEORGE TOWN: Penang today said claims that fishing would drop as a result of reclamation on the southern coast was unlikely, as the area only contributed 4% to the fish landing as at 2015.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said this was at a time in 2015 when Penang was experiencing a bumper year in fish landing, with a surplus of about 12,000 tonnes, based on the fisheries department data.
He said due to this scenario, it is highly unlikely that the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) might cause food insecurity, as often claimed by civil society and environmental NGOs.
Chow said the reality was 90% of the fishermen in Penang’s southern coast, where the islands would be reclaimed, were deep-sea fishermen who go beyond the eight nautical mile radius.
“It is also important to note that many of these coastal fishermen fish outside the earmarked PSI site.
“It was observed many times that fishermen took their boats far beyond the PSI footprint,” he said in reference to PSR’s new acronym, the Penang South Islands.
Chow said the other 10% were inshore fishermen. He said 530 fishermen from nine fishermen units have registered for benefits from the PSR project, through a social impact management plan.
He said these fishermen would receive boats with engines and four new landing jetties. He said a total of 6,153 have been involved in discussions over the PSR since 2015.
He added that the present challenge involving fishermen was not the reclamation, but the depletion of fish stock in line with a global trend due to overfishing.
Chow reiterated that fishermen were not likely to lose their livelihoods as a result of the reclamation.
“We disagree on cancelling the project. We do not have to choose between PSI, and the environment and fishermen. Technology and engineering advancements can allow us to build PSI and preserve the environment and the people at the same time.
“We never denied that the project will have an impact but we have always shared with the people how we intend to mitigate the impact, create new habitats for marine life, and provide more job and business opportunities for fishermen and other locals,” he said.
Other points mentioned in his response were: