FISHING equipment traders in Kelantan said business has been booming with enthusiasts seeking fishing nets to catch freshwater fish.

These enthusiasts seek haruan (snakehead), catfish, puyu (climbing perch) and sepat (freshwater gourami fish) in rivers and flooded padi fields.

This provides a source of income for traders who are also fishermen and rubber tappers who have not been able to work due to the rainy season.

A trader, Marliana Mat Zin, 46, said her shop ran out of fishing nets due to high demand.

“When the monsoon season arrives, many people come to buy fishing nets because residents, especially fishing enthusiasts, take advantage of the flooded padi fields, besides fishing in the river and swampy areas, for freshwater fish.

“Praise be to God, the sale of fishing nets is brisk,” she told Bernama when met at her shop today.

She said the price of the nets is between RM12 to RM45, depending on the type, size and length.

“I usually place an order with my suppliers three or four months before the monsoon season,” she said.

A fish net shop worker in Kota Baru, Ahmad Akhyar Salahudin, 24, said the demand for nets depended on the season.

Fishing nets were popular during the monsoon season, while shrimp or crab nets were in demand in August and September, he said.

“These nets come in different designs,” he said, adding that net prices at his shop range from RM25 to RM180.

Checks by Bernama revealed many residents had set up fishing nets near their homes, such as in padi fields and rivers, in Kuala Krai and Kota Baru. – Bernama, December 25, 2023.