KUALA SELANGOR: No fishermen in Selangor have been affected by haze. For now, fishing activities are going on as usual.
The Department of Fisheries, Putrajaya, Development and Technology Transfer Division director Sufian Sulaiman said if the haze continues to worsen and no improvement in the air quality, they have been advised to not go out to sea.
Sufian said so far, the fish supply in the country is sufficient and no news about increasing in fish prices.
"The increase in fish prices depends on the supply and demand of the consumers and traders. Normally, this sort of situation occurs during the monsoon season.
"However, we have told them if they (fishermen) finds the visibility is poor then they don't have to go out to the sea," he said at a press conference after the launched of Sukarelawan Perikanan Negeri Selangor (SUPER) at De Palma Hotel Kuala Selangor, here, today.
At the event, he said, the department targets to have more than 5,000 members or volunteers of SUPER in the country this year, to monitor and disseminate information on the invasion of foreign fishermen illegally fishing at our Malaysian waters.
SUPER was launched in June last year.
Currently, the department has received about 4,144 fishermen has registered as volunteers.
"In Malaysia, there are 24,000 fishermen. We hope to reach our goal before this year ends.
"In Selangor, we are targeting about 450 members to sign in and so far, about 233 fishermen have signed to be part of SUPER. This squad (SUPER) is not just for volunteering at sea but also to offer help for any kind of situation. For example, help to finding and relocating floods victims and much more," he said, adding that each member will undergo a training to ensure that these volunteers stay fit and strong, physically.
Besides, monitoring the fishing activities, he said the volunteers will also help to conserve the fishery resources and ecosystems, including being a liaison among the fishing communities.
He said the department had also collaborated with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and since the launched of the squad the volunteers have been a good eyes and ears for the agency.
The programme was launched in August last year.