SABAH Fisheries Development Corporation (Ko-Nelayan) has taken over control of nine underperforming jetties in Sabah with immediate effect.

Its chairman Awang Ahmad Sah said the move came following the Sabah cabinet decided last month in view of the closure of nine local area fishermen’s association.

Three of the jetties are in Kota Kinabalu, two in Sandakan and four in Tawau, all of which are key towns in the state.

“The abrupt closure had caused fishermen to queue at times up to four days just to get subsidised diesel.

“This will certainly affect the local fishing industry, create unemployment and certainly ramp up the prices of fish in the local market,” he told reporters at a press conference at Wisma Pertanian in Kota Kinabalu today.

Also present were several members of the Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boat Association, a local body that has been vocal on the fishing communities in the state.

Awang Ahmad said the long wait for subsidised fuel has been a common issue for fishermen across the state and that in some instances, they were forced to buy diesel at retail price.

“Some of the jetties that we had taken over are now undergoing repairs and refurbishment and soon will be up and running again,” he said.

Awang Ahmad said none of these closures would have happened if the federal Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) and the Area Fishermen Associations had been serious in addressing the fishermen’s problems.

“I know the ones to be shut down first are the small jetties because the business of selling diesel often relates to volume.

“I don’t want to point fingers over what has happened to some of the associations that lost all its funds, but our main interests is the wellbeing of the fishermen,” he said.

Awang Ahmad said more jetties are expected to come under the corporation’s control in the coming months. – October 18, 2018.