KOTA KINABALU: Around 80 per cent of the 140 fishing boats under Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boat Owners Association (KKFBOA) have ceased operations while the remaining are currently undergoing repair works in workshops, said its chairman Simon Hong.
Hong said all the fishing boats under the association could yield a catch of over 100 tonnes daily in non-peak fishing season, and up to 500 tonnes in peak season.
Now that the fishing boats have stopped going out to the sea, fish supply to the market will naturally drop drastically, he said.
Hong said the cessation of operations also caused thousands of crew members to lose their livelihood.
He estimated each of the 140 trawlers employed nine workers, thus the decision to cease operations would have a major impact on 1,200 crew members.
Hong said the cost of diesel that amounted over RM10,000 constituted a big portion of the cost in every fishing trip.
After deducting workers’ salaries, there was not much profit left for fishing boat owners.
“The excessive charges imposed by the private company are suffocating the fishing boat owners.
“Hence, we would rather cease operations than to bear the unreasonable fees.”
Hong insisted that the cessation of operations would carry on indefinitely until a satisfactory solution was achieved.