Bountiful harvest from the river

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THE Sebuyau River, which branches off Batang Lupar, plays a vital dual role – contributing to the income of the villagers in the area and supplying a much sought after species of fish for the state.

TIS’ THE SEASON: A fishing boat on its way to the fishing ground.

There are over 10,000 villagers in Sebayau, of whom two-thirds are fishermen living in an area with a river, teemed with fish such as Ikan Terusan, Ikan Benong and Ikan Panjang, especially at a spot called Triso, 1km from the town.

From June to October, the fishermen will move further up the Sebuyau River to catch Ikan Terubok Hulu which is in high demand.

“We have the best grades here. Due to escalating market prices, the villagers have no time to ferment the fish for Terubok masin. Instead, they sell it directly to the market,” said Jamili Ramli, supervisor for the subsidised diesel supply project.

He added that Terubok masin, normally sold at the Satok market, is mostly made from Terubok Laut, a lower grade species.

“The difference is that Terubok Hulu has a smaller head and mouth although it looks like Terubok Laut to the untrained eye,” Jamili explained.

Besides providing subsidised diesel to the fishermen, Jamili also buys from them once they return from their fishing trips.

“Sometimes, the fishermen sell their fish here, sometimes at the Fisheries Department. It depends on them, actually,” he added.

Ikan Terusan is also in high demand.

The fishing season for this variety is from early Feb till the end of the year. The male can fetch as much as RM35 per kg whereas the female around RM16 per kg.

“What makes the male pricier is that the fish maw (pelampung ikan) is a delicacy popular among restaurants. However, the locals will serve the delicacy  asam-pedas or masak-santan style,” he explained.

Ikan Panjang sells for RM20 per kg off-season and RM18 during peak season.

“I had seen fishermen returning with a boat-load of no fewer than 100 fish each when the weather was good and with some luck. Just for that one day alone, they made over RM10,000 – a big jump from their daily average of RM50 to RM60,” Jamili said.

However, he pointed out that most of the fishermen were using old equipment and boats.

“During rough weather, they may not be able to catch much – maybe four to five fish only.”

Another problem is the jetties along the riverbanks.

“These are not sited at accessible locations, especially during low tide,” Jamili said, adding that only a few jetties were available at this time, causing congestion when the fishermen arrived to moor their boats.

According to him, three quarries have also been built in the area within the past five to six years and the explosions (for breaking the rocks) near the riverbanks are reportedly causing tremors and scaring the fish away, especially at Triso.

“This is affecting the fishermen’s catch,” Jamili said, hoping that the authority concerned will look into the matter.