GEORGE TOWN: Some 200 inshore fishermen in Kampung Permatang Tepi Laut, Bayan Lepas here are claiming that their livelihood is under threat from pollution due to sewage and garbage for the past five years.
Checks at the site recently found that pollution had caused the water at the village to be murky, cloudy and smelly. To compound matters, the beach is also filled with garbage.
The fishermen there blame the pollution on nearby residential areas as well as from businesses in Bayan Lepas.
They also claimed that their catch, which included fishes, prawns and clams, have since dwindled, affecting their income by 50 per cent each time they go to sea.
A fisherman, Mohd Hadi Ismail, 45, said the pollution problem has greatly affected their income in recent years due to the dwindling catch.
"We have been putting up with this foul stench from the river for some time.
"In the past, the river was filled with numerous species of marine life which included fish and prawn. Now, some of the species are almost gone," he said.
Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader said he was disappointed that the issue had been prolonged without any action by the authorities.
"We were told by the fishermen there that water samples had been taken on numerous occasions for testing but the results were not disclosed to them.
"As such, we urge the Department of Environment, the Penang Island City Council and the Department of Drainage and Irrigation to investigate and resolve the issue once and for all," he added.
CAP, according to Mohideen, believes that the situation will worsen in the future if nothing is done to address it now.