The Fishing Journey

This article describes the fishing journey of a typical Sungai Batu fisherman, from their preparation before they set off, to their time out at sea, as well as after they come back.

How do you become a fisherman? 

To go out to sea and fish, fishermen are required to have a boat license and a fishing card. The boat license allows the fishermen to operate their fishing boat, while the fishing card certifies that they have the requisite fishing skills. Obtaining the fishing card is difficult – they must undergo interviews and tests. 

Typically, fishermen pick up these skills through the culture of warisan or inheritance, which refers to the intergenerational tradition of passing on fishing knowledge and skills within the family, usually from father to son. However, some fishermen have also joined the profession by seeking an apprenticeship.

What equipment do the fishermen need? 

Fishermen have a critical and time-consuming task of making and mending nets, so that they are in good condition for the next trip. They come in various shapes, sizes, colours and materials unique to a particular catch. The nets used to be made of nylon, but now they are made of plastic and imported from Thailand. This has also come at a higher cost as prices have risen from RM30 to RM160.

Of course, another key piece of equipment is their sampan or boat, which is equipped with an engine that has become more powerful over time, enabling the fishermen to go further. The fishermen’s boats also hold the equipment that they require to fish – apart from their nets, this also includes their ice boxes to keep the fish fresh. 

The fishermen have to routinely maintain their boats and engines, as well as ensure that their boats have sufficient fuel.

How do the fishermen know when to go out to sea? 

Traditionally, the fishermen refer to the Islamic and Chinese/Lunar calendars for crucial information on the moon’s movement, the corresponding tide it creates and its influence on the various catches. It is thus an essential factor in deciding when to go out to sea. 

Generally, on the 1st to 5th day of the month, the tide is stronger, so the fishermen tend not to go out; conversely, on the 8th to 15th day of the month, the tide is weaker, so the fishermen are more likely to go out.

Alternatively, the fishermen also refer to the moon. As the current is strong during the 新月 (new moon) and 满月 (full moon) days, the fishermen typically don't go out during those times. With that being said, the fishermen don’t refer to the calendar as much now, as they can easily search the Internet. 

If the conditions are good, the fishermen can choose to set out in the early morning (day catch), or at night into dawn (night catch). This in turn depends on the type of catch that the fishermen are going for.

How do the fishermen find their way? 

Over their many years of fishing, the fishermen have accumulated much experience. They gain knowledge of the sea through trial and error. Out at sea, the fishermen don’t rely on GPS to find their way. Instead, they rely on their knowledge, as well as use landmarks such as the Pulau Rimau lighthouse to orient themselves.

How do the fishermen know where to go?

The conditions out at sea change every day. On some days, some fishing spots may have more catch than others. How do the fishermen know which spots are better? 

They do so by sharing information via word of mouth. When one of them gets a good haul from a fishing spot, they inform passing fishing boats about it, through either hand signals or shouting to each other. They communicate locations with reference to landmarks, such as Penang Bridge, the Pulau Rimau Lighthouse and Pulau Kendi.

How do the fishermen obtain their catch? 

The Sungai Batu fishermen use drift net fishing. Drift netting is a fishing technique where nets, called drift nets, hang vertically in the water column without being anchored to the bottom. To ensure that the nets are not caught in rocky shores or obstructions, the fishermen will have to travel some distance away from shore.

First, to understand the direction of the water current, the fishermen will drop buoys in the water, and watch how they behave in the water. Their goal is to set up nets that are parallel to the water current, to get the water to push fish into the nets. The different colours of the buoys indicate which fishermen they belong to.

Next, the fishermen will hurl one end of their net with a white buoy tied to it into the water. As the boat moves, the rest of the net slowly enters the water, until the other end of the net is reached. Each net is very long – in fact, they are really five smaller nets tied together. This allows the fishermen to maximise their catch.

Lastly, once the fishermen have laid their nets, it is time for them to wait for the fish to come. After around 15 minutes, both fishermen on the boat would pull up the nets. Sometimes, sea urchins are also caught in their nets – the fishermen will smash them with a flat wooden tool.

How is the fishermen’s catch doing? 

Yet, these methods which have served the fishermen well over the years may no longer be viable in the years to come. The land reclamation, which has already started, is set to significantly change the ecology and fish population in the area.

The fishermen’s catch has been negatively affected. Statistics from Unit Nelayan Sungai Batu show that the fishermen’s total catch fell by 17.9% from 46,220 kg in 2022 to 37,934 kg in 2023. This coincided with the start of the reclamation works in October 2023. Given that the reclamation project will last until 2030, it seems likely that their catch will fall even further.

In January 2024, we went out to sea with the fishermen. Before the reclamation, each net would bring in dozens of prawns. However, this time, we saw how they only caught several udang (or prawn) per net. The most catch a boat had when they returned to shore was six prawns. 

While this could be somewhat attributed to their fishing for a shorter time (because we were following them), this still reflects the negative impact of reclamation on their catch. 

The only viable solution for the fishermen is to go out further to sea. Yet, this has considerable risks. 

First, the fishermen are already travelling more than 7 km away from shore. For them to travel even further carries greater risk due to rougher conditions, and would require larger boats. These larger boats are not only more expensive – they can cost up to RM 1 million – but would further require fishermen to pivot to the less environmentally sustainable practice of deep-sea fishing.

Second, this effectively means that the fishermen have to re-learn the area and potential fishing spots. Furthermore, the practice of deep sea fishing is largely dissimilar to the drift net fishing that the fishermen have practised over generations. This exacerbates the burden on the fishermen as they need to use new techniques in unfamiliar waters. 

Once the fishermen have brought back their catch, they will sell their catch fresh to the fish market located just next to shore. The market is operated by several sellers hired by the unit. 

The unit operates on a relationship of mutual exchange with the fishermen. The unit hires a few sellers to run a market, to which the fishermen sell their catch. In exchange for the fishermen selling all their catch to the market, the fishermen can receive loans, protection and year-end bonuses.

Their catch supplies nearby restaurants, such as a Nasi Kandar restaurant at Teluk Kumbar, as well as communities around the area. Much of the local cuisine depends on the catch brought in by the fishermen – for example, udang can be is often matched with sambal, or used to make pulut udang. 

However, with the reclamation forcing the fishermen out further into sea, the kind of fish and catch caught using deep sea fishing will likely be different from the catch currently being caught nearer to the coast. This fundamentally threatens the local cuisine. Without the same kind of seafood available, the “local” taste may forever be changed.