King tide keeping fishermen ashore

KUALA MUDA: The king tide phenomenon has made it difficult for fishermen to venture out to sea.

Fishermen who spoke to theSun said the high waves were dangerous for those who use small boats.
Mazlan Mohamad, 35, said he has not gone out to sea for a week because of the rough waves.

"The waves are too strong and can go up to four metres, this is very dangerous," he said when met at the popular Pasir Bisik here today.

For those brave enough however, the rewards can be quite high as fisherman Adnan Abdullah, 48, said the king tide usually brought in hard to catch fish from deeper waters.

He said these fish were usually caught up in the rising tide and brought nearer to the shore so inshore fishermen like him could benefit.

"One of these fish is the 'gerut' (white snapper) which is normally found in deep waters," he said, but added he has not been out to fish as he feared his boat may capsize, a feeling echoed by fishermen Daud Karim, 75.

The lack of catch also meant there were less customers as the normally busy Pasar Bisik was not as crowded as usual while prices increased due to the lack of supply.

A fishmonger who only wanted to be known as Chong said the seasonal phenomenon resulted in higher prices.

As an example, he said a kilo of blue crabs was usually priced at about RM30 but could go as high as RM65 during the king tide season.

He said even everyday fishes like "kembung" (Atlantic mackerel), "gelama" (red bream) and "duri" (catfish) were hard to catch.

When contacted, Seberang Prai Fisherman Association chairman Mahadi Mohd Rodzi said the king tide season came early this year and urged those going out to sea to remain vigilant.