SEREMBAN: An udang galah (freshwater prawn) fry entrepreneur today appealed to the government to give some flexibility to allow recreational fishing ponds to be reopened with the promise of complying with all standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Abdul Auf Hafiz Hasfarudin, 34, said all fishing ponds had been closed since the movement control order (MCO) came into force on March 18, causing him to lose his source of income due to no demand for giant prawns from pool operators.
To avoid further losses, he had to release 600,000 prawn fry worth RM48,000 into Sungai Rembau yesterday because he could no longer bear the cost of operations.
“Even giving away the prawns which have grown in size and thus not suitable for farming in the tanks for free to pool operators did not receive a good response as they do not have the money to bear the cost of farming,” he told Bernama here today.
Operating a 0.40 hectare freshwater prawn hatching centre in Kampung Chuah, Lukut, Port Dickson, Abdul Auf Hafiz said he had previously supplied 1.2 million prawn fry worth RM90,000 to eight local freshwater prawn farmers in the state.
“When the MCO was implemented, some breeders cancelled the order and I only managed to sell 300,000 prawn fry worth RM22,500, my only sale during the MCO and the conditional movement control order (CMCO),” said Abdul Auf Hafiz who also owned a freshwater prawn fishing pond in Kampung Melayu Subang, Selangor and Batu 8, Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson.
When asked why he did not turn the prawns into prawn paste, dried shrimp or cencalok, Abdul Auf Hafiz said it required high costs and added that he had no income for almost three months.
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department director Halimi Abu Hanip said Abdul Auf Hafiz was one of four freshwater prawn hatchery operators in the state who were affected and unable to market the fry when the MCO and CMCO were in force.
“There are 45 freshwater prawn farmers in Negeri Sembilan who are also affected when the fishing pond is closed including seedlings farmers like Abdul Auf Hafiz,” he said, adding that there were about 11.5 tonnes of prawns ready to be harvested at the time but can’t be marketed.
Halimi said the release of 600,000 prawn fry to Sungai Rembau was the highest number of releases this year after the first one two weeks ago involving a total of 147,000 seedlings purchased by the department. – Bernama
