Fish breeder worries having dry ponds due to El Nino

GUA MUSANG: The dry spell due to the El Nino phenomenon has dried up four fish ponds belonging to Mat Nawi Hussin, 56, of Kampung Lepan Jaya here, forcing him to "evacuate" the 9,000 "kelah" (Golden Mahseer) or 'king' of the river fish.

He said the fish were transferred to four other ponds which had yet to dry up.
"My concern is if the dry spell prolongs, the fish will die because they cannot last long in a pond where the water is hot.
"Two hundred of the kelah fish have died, causing me to suffer losses of RM36,000," he added.
He said a kelah weighing a kilogramme could be sold for RM180 each.
Mat Nawi said there were also 13,000 patin (silver catfish) and 5,000 tilapia fish in the four ponds.
He said he started his fish breeding business 28 years ago and relied on rain water and water from nearby drains for his fish ponds.
Fish from his ponds are sold not only in Kelantan, but also in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Kedah and Penang, he added. — Bernama