R.S.N. Murali The Star 25 Oct 12;
MALACCA: The Malacca Fisheries Department has acknowledged that the population of udang galah that once flourished along the banks of Sungai Linggi has seriously depleted.
The department embarked on an initiative to increase the population by cultivating and releasing fries into the river where udang galah netting was the main source of income for 450 registered fishermen in Kuala Linggi and nearby areas deemed as fishing enclaves.
Department director Rosmawati Ghazali said the population of the freshwater species had gradually depleted due to unmonitored netting along the riverbanks by unregistered fishermen.
“We have increased our efforts to increase the population of the species through various methods including releasing the fries,” she said after a ceremony where 110,00 fries were released by Kuala Linggi assemblyman Datuk Ar Ismail Othman along the riverbank close to the Malacca/NegriSembilan border, about 50km from here, on Tuesday.
Rosmawati said the department also released 210,000 fries between the Sungai Linggi and Sungai Ramuan Cina river estuaries.
She said through the effort, the department hoped the local fishermen could still enjoy a bountiful catch and generate a steady income for their families.
On an average, a single fisherman could land a catch of five kilogrammes a day during fine weather, she said.
Rosmawati said the department also released fish fries into other rivers in Malacca, with the of helping part-time anglers earn supplementary income.
She said the different species were released based on the pH content of waters as extreme pH levels could make the river unsuitable for the fries to survive.
She said that acidic water also speeds the leaching of heavy metals that was harmful to fishes.
“For instance in Sungai Malim, we released fries that was compatible to the pH level of the river as the acidic barometer was high as the river passes through industrial estates,” she said adding that the department had released 83,000 fries into rivers in the state since early 2011.
She also said that the department was conducting a workshop for fishermen on how to utilise Global Positioning System (GPS) to boost their catch.
The workshop, she said would concentrate on to sea-going fishermen and gradually to those other fishing villages.
Rosmawati alsowarned fishermen not to overlook on regulations which required them to store lifejackets inside their vessels.
She said those found disobeying regulations would have their monthly aid of RM200 provided by the department, revoked.
