KOTA BHARU – The monsoon season is just around the corner, but the almost 200 fishermen in Kampung Pulau Gajah here still continuing with their daily routine of going to the sea without fear of the approaching bad weather conditions.
Yusoh Omar, 64, said the weather condition this year was not like last year.
“In October last year, we no longer went out to the sea because of the heavy rain and the rough seas.
“Alhamdulillah, this year, we can continue our fishing activities, but always on the alert for a change in the weather condition.
“At this time of the year last year, we couldn’t go to the sea anymore. Instead, we spent our free time repairing our nets or the boats,” he told reporters when met at Kampung Pulau Gajah, Sabak, here today.
As for Zakaria Abd Rahman, 67, he said although the catch he obtained this year was much lesser, he never returned home empty-handed.
“Despite, the poor catch, I’m still able to provide for my family.
“Every time I go out to sea, I’ll spend RM20, which is for diesel. So, being able to earn about RM700 a month is just enough to feed the family, to put aside some of it for saving is a challenge,” said Zakaria, who has been going to the sea for more than 40 years.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) had earlier warned the public to remain vigilant about weather changes, anticipating four to six episodes of heavy rain between November 2023 and February 2024, with the potential to cause flooding in risk areas.- Bernama
