Yesterday, fishing communities along the North East coast of Penang Island held a press conference to outline their demands to all contesting election candidates in their area.
Among the most important of their demands is their call for another review of the environmental impact assessments for land reclamation being carried out in the area.
They are also calling for an end to any new land reclamation as a means of raising funds (through the sale of reclaimed land) for the state; instead they want the state to look for more sustainable sources of revenue generation.
Here is their statement:
We will support any candidate who agrees and will fight for the demands set forth in this list:
Recognition for fishermen
Recognise the fishermen’s area of Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah as a heritage fishing village. This is for the preservation of history – for the fishing community here has existed for a long time.
Prepare a masterplan for coastal fishermen which emphasises Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 14: Life below water
Social and economic justice for fishermen
Review and improve the processes of renewal and approval of fishing licences for coastal fisherman.
Review again the environmental impact assessment for phases one and two of the Seri Tanjung Pinang project and the Gurney Wharf project, especially the mitigation plans proposed by the developer.
All development plans which affect the coastal area of Paramount, Gurney Drive, Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah must be based on the inspiration of the fishermen of that area.
The state must reject any new reclamation project in the state of Penang.
The state must also find another alternative to generate the economy without depending on a system which ‘reclaims and sells’. Economic sources that are much more sustainable like ecotourism in a city should be created.
Safety for fishermen
Monitor illegal fishing activities as well as the intrusion of large ships in our fishing area.
Propose and implement a strategic plan for our coastal fishing community to adapt and be resilient to climate change immediately.
Environmental conservation for fishermen
Take steps to conserve and preserve our mangrove area, which was destroyed by the reclamation activity, by replanting appropriate mangrove species.
An action committee focusing on coastal and marine ecology in the area of the reclamation project should be set up to monitor all environmental issues there. The appointment of members should consist of fishermen, NGOs and academics/scientists whom the fishermen’s community agrees upon.
Fishermen’s Community of Paramount
Fishermen’s Community of Gurney Drive
Fishermen’s Community of Tanjung Tokong
Fishermen’s Association of Teluk Bahang – Tanjung Bungah Unit
| Please help to support this blog if you can. Read the commenting guidlelines for this blog. |
I hope CM Lim Guan Eng’s head is not too swollen and his ears have not become deaf to the cries from the fishermen. Development is generally good, but only if carried out in a caring and conscientious manner. Simply “claiming for the greater good” can be seen as an excuse for giving the heartfelt pain and concerns of the fishermen.
…I mean “excuse for IGNORING the heartfelt pain and concerns of the fishermen”.
Why penang fishermen are all kampong fishermen? Let fishermen from perak and selangor fish in penang waters. You mean there are boundary markers in the water to say it is penang, perak or selangor waters? Perak and selangor fishermen are often caught by indons and sent to makan curry for few years in sumatra. Why dummo gomen did not help them. Recently I saw a movie about the rich trying to flee Nazi. Do they contact the resistance. Somehow, after the rich paying them, they were killed in the escape. The resistance contact the nazis who killed them when trying… Read more »
Don’t fall into Gerakan trap, both your parliament and state votes must go to Harapan. Cannot allow BN to gain more seats by accident.
One reason not to vote DAP…..but dont know whether BN can be trusted to really heed the voice of the fishermen and care for the environment and tge rich fishing grounds south of the island….
As shown both parties will always put $$$$$ first and environment last
BN can have reclamation in Melaka and Johor, the fishermen got compensated and quit fishing for good.
Err, where will the people get their fish from?
Fish farming. There will be unlimited supply like chook rearing and eggs. You mean penang is under fished and rest of the world over fished?
The Future of Fish Farming
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sustainable-aquaculture-fish-farming-by-linus-blomqvist-2018-02
Land-based recirculating systems and offshore aquaculture – both could potentially mitigate the negative externalities of aquaculture and make fish production sustainable well into the future.
Fish Farming is an expensive investment. Coastal fishermen cannot afford such job transition.
People like you makes penang goes backward. No wonder china advance forward. Last time, our fathers used to money there.now they can just come to penang and just to eat $ 100 per kg durian. What is dummo fishery department being doing. We pay tax and not enough we pay GST yet dummo can spend millions on cowgate. Cows oredi fly away and where is our money? Pg forum kau beh kau bu. Fisheren can form group together and everyone become boss to do fish farming. Market can extend to the world. No body gets retrench and everyone get pay… Read more »
Fish farming is very vulnerable to outbreak of disease in the sea water & fresh water. Do you know a single bird’s faeces drop into the breeding water can spell doom to the entire breed? This info was told by my friend who ventured into sea water fish breeding in Batu Maung but eventually quit due to this type of problem.
Tun lang, you mean if bird’s droppings is just out the kelong, fish will not be infected? The bateria will not wash into the kelong? Fish farming is like chook farming. One chook is diseased, rest can get easily. Same as human.
Employed bangla, indon or malaysian workers who cares? But if pg fishermen group together and work, they are boss and worker. Even their wives can spend time in kelong with them unlike fishing with small boats
You want to hear the real thing, I can introduce my Batu Maung friend so you are not told fake news but real news that you & others may not like. The real fish breeding experience, not assumption. Just come to Penang.
Pg small kg, little black dot. Go and learn from hong land, singland, shenzhen land and pear delta land when you cross using the sea bridge by public bus or tour bus. Sooooo many many fish farms. Why dummo dept of fisheries not doing anything? So tech no logy? Where our gst goes? Fish farming, water quality, temp and sensors need to monitor. Scada, 4G and coming 5G can do it at home sweet home. We need to change gomen to improve life. In down under, farmers use drone to help apart from sheep dogs. Fish farming uses science unlike… Read more »
BN cannot help?
Read this fish farming success story of Singapore:
https://www.temasek.com.sg/en/news-and-views/stories/sustainability/fish-farmer-saving-the-sea.html
Use technology. Else you will have to import fish in the future. Already Singapore has been successful in fish farming, and export its technology to Brunei.
Good fish sold to Singapore restaurants at good price.
Just like our petrol, premium ones are exported while we have the low grade ron 95 which affects our car performance.
No, rakyat under dummo gomen cannot afford not saving as ex dummo minister said. Our $£€¥ is even less than Siam money. China men can just fly to penang to eat durian. Can rakyat under dummo, ah soon and engineer gomen do that? Life and living cost getting worst. Malaysians under dummo one of worse offenders jumping plane and work illegally in taiwan, jap, hankok, down under, europe and usa. Mca star reported in hankok
Good quality vegetables from Cameron Highlands also found its way to Singapore. We are left with inferior leftovers.
Tay Soon Poh former government had tight control over hill development all these years..do you see Botak Hills before , unless you are not a Penangite.
Not tight control but at that time there many low lying abf flat land. See how cheap. Gilakan sell the land and even give land away like koon encounter when trying to build a hostel for poor student. This gilakan man claim former cm give the land to him? In fact dummo give a lot or sell land very chip. Like kl, flat land, former squatters are all finished developed. Only left are hillslopes or agricultural. Even agricultural land faces extinction. Look glc have turn the land into housing. But former estate workers hard to get housing
Dont be hypocrates. Why dont you take trishaw? Who is helping the trishaw man and feed his family? Instead we help boon siew and his kapcai and make him a millionaire and make the trishaw men lost their livelihood. Boon siew gets his business from trishaw men to repair their tricycles. Boon siew should thank them and help them in return but instead, boon siew slashed with kapcais. Others take buses, buy saloon cars. Now, the turn are the taxi men. Why no protest against grab or uber? Taxi men has to pay royalty to cronies everyday..
Who fight for the becah men whio helps to keep penang moving in the 50s and early 60s? Becah is orso icon of penang likd the tram of HK. .who help the taxi driver who faces the onslaught of uber and grab. Taxi rents and pays royalty to to cronies
101 Guide to TLL Urban Aquaculture – Paving The Way Towards 100% Local Fish Farming
Fish For A Lifetime
No more – reclamation.
Former pg councillor wrote about granito. Even different geotech engrs have different views just like a professor from hong kong uni sc and tech thinks that the cantilever right angle corner ccctv bldg in beijing is not a good earthquake bldg design because of right angle corner shape. Others think that china has no quality control over welding.
Hong kong due to scarcity of land has been building on hillslopes and they imposed stringent hillslopes monitoring.
Designing the tallest building in the world or highest bridge viaduct in france or glass bridge in zhangjiajie, has people worried.
In the future of not-science fiction, food + drinking water will be fought over by vulnerable nations. It may start with food export curtailing in favour of its citizens’ immediate needs brought about by reduced food production due to unpredictable & damaging weather. Nations sharing a network of cross border rivers may channel river flows to their lands affecting those below the flow. Political & NGO pressure may exert extreme restrictions on food export corporations in favour of national interest & food security. Note: food imports are not monitored by us, so whatever genetic modification done is beyond our control.… Read more »
While it is good and the right thing to do to protect the fishing community. But the “protection” is not for long. Is there a next generation to replace the aging fishing people? In most cases, long before any development take place. Fishermen are complaining of low yield and high operation cost.Even when given fuel subsidy. On the other side, developments may be postpone and defer. or planners and developers select places away from the fishing villages Most of the fishes or seafood found in our market are from Thailand and China. Unless our local people willing to invest bigger… Read more »
That is why dummo has dominate too long compareable to sime commies. Fisheries are under central gomen like transport. Central sapu everything. State can give land but knowledge how and funds from dummo like flood migtigation and EIA. See, central gives 1billion to jesselton for transport. Penang has to chak kai kee