Malaysia is a nation with extensive coastlines, where fishing communities play an important role as stewards of the sea.
Like many locals growing up in Penang, I visited the kampungs, seafood stalls and beaches of Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul. But focusing for most of my adult life on what is now a Unesco World Heritage area in George Town, I was scarcely aware of this unique area to the south. Indeed, we could see the horizon crowded with several dozen boats. A friend showed me his photos of the boats at night, a thick cluster of small lights.
Fishing trawlers and even Indonesian boats have been caught illegally encroaching in the waters of Pulau Kendi. The marine life in this area make their way to the waters of northern Perak, where they contribute to the fish landings of the Perak fishermen. These fishermen could be called “artisanal fishermen”, as they use traditional methods and fish in a more sustainable manner than commercial operators who tend to overfish. They are also called “inshore fishermen”, as they use small boats and operate within eight nautical miles from the coastline.
The LKIM Jetty at Batu Maung, operated by the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, is a major fish-landing station with cold storage facilities, frequented by commercial boats that operate in the vicinity south of Penang island. “There was a delayed effect, but the southwest monsoon brought all the sludge back here. Our beaches were covered with sludge-mud and it took a few years for the fish and prawns to fully recover.”