FISHERMAN are finding it difficult to sell their catch as supermarkets and restaurants suspend operations during the movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Many fishermen had resorted to throwing the fish that could not be sold back into the sea when a processing plant was closed in the early days of MCO, said Hai Suah Hutan Melintang Association president Lee Chu Soi.

“Many fishermen could not find buyers for their fish as small supermarkets were shuttered,” Lee told The Malaysian Insight.

“Fisherment in Hutan Melintang, Perak, were forced to discard RM1 million worth of stock due to the temporary closure of food processing plants in area.

“Because of the closure, the small fish prepared for processing could not be stored. They had to be discarded in the sea.”

The processing plant has since resumed operations on March 23  and “There will be no more such problems,” Lee said.

He said small fish, fish heads and tails were dumped into the sea.

The food processing plant uses small fish to make processed food while the tails and head are made into animal feed.

To prevent losses and wastage now, Lee said fishermen in Hutan Melintang have frozen their catch.

This has created a stockpile of more than 10,000 tonnes of frozen fish.

The frozen fish include mackerel (ikan kembung) and marlin.

“It used to be sold at RM5 per kg but now it is only RM1.50. Since much of the fish could not be sold, they are being frozen.

He said frozen fish can be kept for up to six months.

This, however, has not stopped the fishermen from going out to sea.

“We have 66 deep-sea fishing boats here, we can’t dock all at the same time, we can’t accommodate them all.”

Fish from Hutan Melintang are supplied to towns such as Muar, Selayang and Ipoh. They are also exported to Singapore.

They are not affected by the MCO.

Malaysia Fish Industry General Association president Chia Tian Hee said fishermen in Selangor did not have access to cold storage facilities.

“According to fishermen in Perak and Johor, they freeze their catch,” he said.

He added that the price of fish in rural areas has fallen even though it has risen in urban areas. This is because open markets are not allowed to operate in the rural areas while it is business as usual for indoor markets in cities.

“The frozen fish produced in Penang, Perak, and Johor are mainly small fish, which are generally sold to Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

“But the demand has now greatly reduced due to the preventive measures implemented in their respective countries.”

Chia said 80% of fishing boats in Sekinchan and Dagang were still going out to fish and there would be no supply shortage in the future. – March 30, 2020.