THE government must not let gangs of middlemen dominate supply in the fishing industry and oppress fishermen further, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said the government, through the ministries involved, need to state its position on this matter.

“At the same time, they must also find a way to unravel the problems that occur and offer solutions,” Anwar said in a statement today.

He said the issue of middlemen controlling the supply chain in this sector has had a profound impact on the fishermen and their families’ ability to survive.

The issue of middlemen in the fishing industry is longstanding, which has affected the income of fishermen nationwide.

It also resulted in the formation of Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) in 1971.

However, despite this, the issue persists more than 50 years later.

Last month, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called for an end to the use of middlemen in the agriculture sector and the food supply chain, as part of efforts to control the cost of living due to rising inflation.

The prime minister said middlemen exploit the hard work of farmers and fishermen, and manipulate market prices.

Ismail said he had done so through the War Against Middlemen campaign in 2014, while at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.

However, recent surges in fish prices have been put down to unfavourable weather and labour shortages.

LKIM chairman Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abu Fasal told Channel News Asia last week that there has been a decrease of about 15% in fish landings in recent months.

Reduced supplies have thus resulted in a higher market prices, Syed said.

LKIM has also warned consumers against panic buying, saying there were enough fish for consumption. – June 8, 2022.