Shahrul M Zain experiences catching fish with bamboo traps
THE boat’s bright red rim gives the definitive shape of our fishing boat that without it, the vista in front of me will be a wash of blue and grey.
Nature paints a peaceful picture for us as our boat speeds out to the open sea. The sea is quite calm, letting small waves hit our boat while above us, there is just a small opening of clouds, exposing bright sky.
It is 7am when we leave Kampung Pohon Batu in Labuan and now we’re heading to a spot where Asiran Jamal, the boat owner, submerged a bubu (bamboo trap) the day before.
Using only a hand-held GPS device, we reach our destination 20 minutes later.
Armed with diving equipment and a rope in hand, one of Asiran’s crew dives into the sea but only for a few minutes before he climbs back into the boat.
The other members then pull the rope line that is tied the bubu and attach it to an electric winch to pull the fish trap into the boat.
When the full bubu is opened, grouper, bream, mackerel, spade fish, bat fish and tuna slide out and flop onto the boat floor.
The process from the moment a crew dived in until the trap is emptied takes 90 minutes to complete, before we make our way back to the shore.
At the shore, the boat is pushed to a trailer which is then towed to land with a four-wheel-drive.
I stay on the boat, staring excitedly at the day’s catch which includes an XL-sized lobster, while the boat is towed to an awaiting crowd at a market in Kampung Lubuk Temiang.
I’m quite flabbergasted with the chaotic scene at the market. The crowd races to get the best catch while stall owners outdo each other to attract customers.
Asiran, his wife and other workers give extra service to customers by cutting and cleaning the fish for them.
Within 30 minutes, everything on his table is all gone. But the good news is that my lobster is put aside for our dinner.
This valuable experience with Asiran and his crew and family is organised by Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia. The Labuan director Pada Anak Bijo welcomed us that morning at Kampung Pohon Batu.
PICTURES BY SHAHRUL M ZAIN