Malaysia: Dying farm fishes -- end of El Nino to resolve problem

NABILA AHMAD The Star 27 Apr 16;

JOHOR BARU: The Fisheries Department is confident that the issue of dying fishes in breeding farms around the country will come to an end when the El Nino phenomenon is over in three months.

The department’s aquaculture development division head Dr Mazuki Hashim said that the department was breeding more aquaculture fish fry, which would be distributed to the farmers, once the weather improves and becomes cooler.

He said due to the hot and dry spell, the water temperature in rivers had risen, which contributed to the dead fishes including puyu, catfish, tilapia, red snapper, jenahak and patin.

“We are in the process of breeding more fish fry and within three months we will be distributing the fry to the affected farms in Perlis, Kedah, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu.

“At the same time, the department has already urged all farmers to move their breeding activities to shady areas and temporarily stop farming activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Johor Fisheries Department director Munir Mohd Nawi said that fishes in Segamat farms were also affected due to the weather.

“Catfish and snapper were the affected ones but the case is not serious and the department is still closely monitoring the situation,” he said, adding that there were 905 fish breeders in the state.

“There are fish farms located in Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Kulai, Tangkak, Mersing, Muar, Pontian and Segamat,” he said.

Munir said this during a press conference after attending the presentation of certificates of participation for mussels cluster project here in Kampung Senibong last Tuesday.

During the event, a total of 25 local fishermen received the certificates and became the pioneers in the programme.

On April 7, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced that the El Nino phenomenon has caused losses totalling RM6.9mil in fish farming activities since January.

He said the affected fishes are those that breed in fresh and brackish water cages as well as in ponds.