KOTA TINGGI, Jan 11 — Two months after the Sungai Johor pollution incident in this district, about 150 fishermen, including those from Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang, remain in distress as their livelihoods have yet to recover, leaving many struggling to sustain their daily lives.

The fishermen complained of declining catches and income, and voiced deep concern over the condition of Sungai Sayong Pinang near their village, which has become increasingly shallow, with water levels now reaching only thigh height.

Chairman of the Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang Fishermen Network, Azman Inan, said that the situation was believed to have been caused by sediment entering and settling in the river, after a sand-washing pond, linked to sand mining activities by a local company, burst.

He said the situation has forced local fishermen to alter their fishing routes, travelling between two main rivers — Sungai Linggiu and upstream areas — which take between two and three hours to reach, while waiting for Sungai Sayong Pinang to recover.

“At times, we are forced to risk spending the night on the river, by setting out in the evening and waiting until the next day to haul in our catch, before returning to the jetty,” he said when met by Bernama at the village’s fishing jetty, here, today.

Azman said that, although fish fry had been released into the river, the measure has yet to restore the ecosystem, which was severely affected by the pollution incident, which previously recorded a peak raw water turbidity level of 37,400 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

He said the incident had earlier resulted in the death of more than a tonne of fish, including species such as baung, lampam and jelawat, which were found floating along the river.

Azman added that the fishermen were also deeply disappointed by the lack of response from the company believed to be responsible for the pollution, alleging that it appeared to have abandoned its responsibility, after failing to address compensation claims submitted by the affected fishermen, despite police reports having been lodged on two occasions.

“We truly hope that the company would at least send a representative to meet and discuss the matter with us, but unfortunately, that has not happened,” he said, adding that not a single sen has been paid to compensate the affected fishermen.

He said that, whereas in the past fishermen would return home smiling after bringing back tens of kilogrammes of fish and shrimp, they now struggle to earn a living, often returning with only one or two baung in their catch.

This was also the situation observed by Bernama during a visit here, today, when several fishermen, who had just returned from the river, came back with catches described as merely ‘enough to eat.’

“If it’s just one or two fish, I’m too embarrassed to sell them. I’ll just take them home for my family, and try to recover the cost of fuel for the boat engine. Each trip down the river costs me about RM20 to RM30 in fuel,” said fisherman Mazuri Mat, 43.

Aris Adong, 55, a fisherman who has been in the trade since the age of 18, said that the Sungai Sayong Pinang area was once a productive fishing ground, where fishermen could earn up to RM1,000 a day when catches were good.

However, when met at the jetty, here, today, Aris said that he had managed to catch only a single baung fish after heading out early in the morning to the Sungai Linggiu area, located about two kilometres away, or a 30-minute boat ride from the village.

“Our income has really declined, but we have no choice because this is our only source of livelihood. Even if the earnings are small, we still have to go out to support our families,” he said, adding that he has three school-going children.

With the new school term set to begin soon, Aris said he has been forced to travel further in search of fish to sell, particularly to cover his children’s school-related expenses.

He also expressed concern that the sand mining bund could burst again, especially during the monsoon season, and hoped that the state government would closely monitor the situation.

The pollution incident along Sungai Johor in Kota Tinggi, in October last year, was the worst recorded involving water supply sources in Johor, affecting more than 292,000 consumer accounts across Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru, Pontian, Gelang Patah and Kulai. — Bernama