SANDAKAN – Malaysia’s fisheries sector is grappling with a severe shortage of local boat captains, particularly for deep-sea fishing, according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He said currently, the nation relied heavily on foreign manpower to operate its fishing vessels due to the scarcity of experienced young locals in the industry.
“The issue with captains is that, in addition to academic qualifications, extensive experience is required. This is why we recently allowed those over 60 to continue serving as boat captains, with the Home Ministry’s approval, because we are facing a serious deficit of captains,” he explained.
“If all these captains were to resign simultaneously, Malaysia would face a significant shortfall in fish supplies.”
Mohamad said this during a press conference following a meet-and-greet session with Sandakan fishermen at the Harbour Piazza today.
He urged the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority to address the issue by identifying and training potential young candidates at sea to become future captains.
“At present, most of our boat captains are foreigners. I prefer not to specify the countries, but this is a pressing problem,” he added.
Sandakan Fishing (TongKang) Association chairman Ng Chi Tshung echoed Mohamad’s concerns, noting that Sandakan faced a similar situation where most boat captains were migrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia.
He highlighted the lack of government incentives as a deterrent for locals considering a career as boat captains, especially in deep-sea fishing.
“It is easier to earn a living on land. Being a boat captain is challenging, you can be at sea for five days to a week, seeing nothing but the ocean, with no sight of land,” Ng said.
“I accompanied my father on a deep-sea fishing trip once and found it so gruelling that I never went again. It is not an easy job.”
Mohamad’s visit to Sandakan is part of the 2024 Sabah Road to Maha convoy tour, which includes stops in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Belud, Kundasang, Telupid and Sandakan to promote the grand Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-tourism (Maha) programme, scheduled from September 11 to 22 at MAEPS, Serdang, Selangor.
Mohamad expressed hope that the Sabah tour would strengthen collaboration between the state and federal governments to improve the living standards of fishermen in Sabah. – July 15, 2024