MARANG: Continuous heavy rainfall since Tuesday has forced Terengganu fishermen to stay ashore this week due to the choppy waters.
As a result, a sharp drop in the supply of fresh catch has forced fishermongers to take the opportunity to hike the price of frozen fish or fish from aquaculture farms.
Checks at the Marang jetty here showed that it is dotted with fishing vessels as most fishermen are taking the 'monsoon leave' and would only return to the sea when the
weather has improved.
Fisherman Hamed Hamzah Awang, 57, said all fishermen would adhere to the weather report from the Meteorological Department first before going to sea.
He said the weather forecast this week was quite negative due to heavy rainfall which was posing a potential hazard to fishermen.
"The monsoon came a bit late this year. Since the heavy rains this week coincided with the start of school holiday, I take the opportunity to bring my children to buy
new attire in the city," he said when met at the jetty.
Another fisherman, Ibrahim Safuan, 49, who returned from the sea on Wednesday said the waves were as high as five metres and the catch was also little.
He said it was too risky and not worth the price of fuel to go to the sea.
Checks at the Pulau Kambing and Pasar Payang fish market showed only limited fish available, which are mainly frozen fish or that from aquaculture farms.
Medium-sized grouper is tagged at RM30 per kilogramme while snapper and sea bass are sold at RM20 per kg.
For frozen sardine and kembong, it is priced from RM8 per kg for small fish.
State Fisheries Department director Zawawi Ali urged all fishermen to refer to the fisheries officers in every coastal districts for weather information before going out to the seas.
He said the sea conditions at present could pose danger to small and medium fishing vessels.
Meanwhile in KOTA BARU, the number of displaced people in Kelantan now stood at 42, with two new centres being opened in Bachok district.
Evacuees at the SK Wakaf Raja in Pasir Putih, which was the first centre opened yesterday remained at 26 people while the new centres at SMK Jelawat in Gunong and SMK
Beris Panchor in Tawang four and 12 people respectively, according to the Kelantan e-banjir portal website.
As at noon, four people from two families have been placed at SMK Jelawat and 12 people from four families were sheltering at SMK Beris Panchor.
The water level at all measuring points in the state showed a rising trend, with Golok river at Rantau Panjang recording 8.96m, just below the danger level of 9m.