PETALING JAYA: The income of fishermen has been badly affected as they are unable to sell their catch to sellers despite the government allowing fishermen to continue to operate during the movement control order (MCO), says Jaringan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (Jaring).

Its secretary Azrilnizam Omar said the MCO had a negative effect on certain fishery sectors, especially coastal fishing communities.

He said the implementation of the MCO had revealed the flaws that existed in the supply chain of the industry, adding that this had resulted in a loss of income for coastal fishing communities.

"Although the MCO allows fishermen to go to sea and ensure that the nation's food supply remains intact and food security is assured, fishermen, especially from coastal communities, cannot sell their catch to middlemen as they are no longer buying the produce due to markets being closed, ” he said in a statement on Saturday (March 28).

Azrilnizam said the majority of coastal fishing communities still relied on middlemen.

"When their produce can no longer be sold, the majority of fishermen decided not to go out to sea to avoid wastage and an even bigger loss of income, ” he said.

He added that this ultimately caused fishermen to lose their main source of income and affect the country's food supply chain.

He urged the relevant authorities regulating food and agriculture to take immediate steps to ensure the livelihood of fishermen.

He added there was a need for LKIM to ensure that all fishing associations were involved in the buying and marketing of fishermen's catch.

"This will indirectly get rid of the monopoly and the domination of the middleman in the market," he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/28/fishermen-badly-affected-by-mco-says-fishermen-association