FISH breeders in Kukup, located within the Tg Piai parliamentary constituency, want the Pakatan Harapan government to save their businesses by solving pollution issues that are killing their stock.

They said they need long-term solutions to stop their fish from dying every time the monsoon season occurs.

They further said activities of smallholders using fertilisers and herbicides are also killing their stock.

Kukup Fishing Association secretary Ee Long Chin, 37, said their members incur losses of millions of ringgit each time disaster occurs.

The latest incident happened early this month when 44 of the 76 fish breeders recorded losses of more than RM5 million when about 200 tonnes of their stock died due to water pollution.

“When it rained heavily, water from the river went into the sea, and this killed the fish.

“The Fisheries Department said from a sample of water taken, it showed low oxygen levels that killed the fish,” he said when met by The Malaysian Insight recently at the Kukup fishing pier.

When the sea is not deep enough, heavy rainfall will cause sedimentation at the bottom, leading to a lack of oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). This will then cause the fish to die.

He also blamed smallholders who use fertilisers and herbicides for their problems.

“The farms are fertilised, so when it rains, it goes into the drainage system and flows into the ocean, causing low oxygen levels and killing the fish,” Ee said.

There are about 76 fish breeders in Kukup, with each having an average of 100 fish ponds. The fish breeding industry in Kukup is located very close to the shoreline.

Breeding fish is one of the major economic activities of the people in Kukup, which also includes coastal fishermen, who are mostly from the low-income groups.

Ee said the breeders in Kukup can export about 3,000 tonnes of fish a year to major markets around Johor Baru and Singapore.

Fish breeder Tan Jie Sheng, 31, lost about RM60,000 when two tonnes of his stock died in the latest incident.

“On the eve of the incident, many of us tried to stop the river from flowing through the ponds using a boat fan, but it failed.

“Every year it happens but this time it’s the worst,” he said.

Government’s relocation plan

Another breeder, who wants to be known as Siew, 50, said he is tired of lodging complaints as no action has been taken by the authorities.

“I have complained more than 10 times. The government representatives will come, take samples, take pictures, but nothing will happen.

“When it happens again, they repeat the same process, that show no results,” he said.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Sim Tze Zin during a visit to Kukup on October 17 promised to resolve the issue, saying that the Fisheries Research Institute will conduct a feasibility study on a new location for the caged fish breeding industry in Kukup.

He added the study will cover several criteria including the depth of sea water, the oxygen content and the quality of water, and is a long-term effort to help revive the sector.

He said, with the study, the ministry hopes to relocate the breeders in stages in the next two years.

In the short-term, the ministry has also agreed to give out 3,000 grouper fish seeds, fish food and breeding apparatus to the affected breeders to reduce their burden.

The breeders have also been given two high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cages worth RM50,000 each. These cages can withstand the waves and have various sensors, including closed-circuit television.

Other businesses suffering, too

Hamidun Abdul Ghani, 53, has worked as a fisherman in Kukup for the past 35 years, and relies on the sea as a major source of income for his family.

He expects the coming Tg Piai by-election to make a difference in his life, given the difficulties he has experienced.

“I have to say frankly, I am disappointed with the government right now. Our subsidies have been cut from RM300 to RM200. Hopefully there will be a little more money for us in this by-election.

“Budget 2020 gave us a small increase, only RM50… it is very difficult to earn even RM50 a day,” he said.

Business owners around Kukup are also complaining that the connecting jetty to Indonesia located in the small town has been closed for almost two months.

Traders said their revenue is affected by up to 90% with the closure of the pier.

“It’s bad now, the jetty is closed. People going to Indonesia are using other jetties, our revenue is down by 90%,” said a shop owner who sells clothing there.

Since the closure, traders have been expecting only Singaporean tourists to visit Kukup island.

Lim, 50, owner of a chalet and boarding house, was not affected by the closure but sympathised with the fate of his other business partners.

“We hope the government will look for a long-term solution to the source of income for the people in Kukup,” he said.

Fried chicken stall trader Amy, 30, also had to stop her business following the closure of the jetty.

“Previously I can sell seven to eight chickens a day, but because the jetty has been closed, I have stopped hoping that the jetty reopens soon,” she said.

A community leader, who only wants to be known as Ah Sang, said the shutdown of the jetty was temporary, as the process of finding a new operator was ongoing.

“The jetty will be closed for a while. If I’m not mistaken the jetty will reopen in three weeks,” he said.

Kukup is one of the districts in the Tg Piai parliament constituency, which also includes the Pekan Penas area.

The Tg Piai parliamentary constituency has 52,986 registered voters, with 26,565 voters in the Kukup area, while another 26,421 voters are in the Nenas constituency.

The by-election is necessitated following the sudden death of Bersatu’s Md Farid Md Rafik on September 21.

He had won the seat from MCA/Barisan Nasional in the last general election.

The Election Commission fixed nomination for November 2 and polling day falls on November 16. – October 20, 2019.