‘When at sea during the monsoon season, fishermen take safety procedures to keep themselves safe,’ said Azli Mohd Aziz, chairman of the Johor Southern Fishermen Association, ‘This includes avoiding fishing alone and not venturing too far from the beach.’
‘Most significantly, we must avoid the sea during storms and periods of heavy rain.’
“Fishermen should also not go fishing alone, especially during the monsoon season, as this could put them at higher risk of going missing,” he said. When they go fishing, they should also let their family know, he continued.
Azli Mohd explained, “This is to make sure that there will be people looking for them in case they do not return.
They also need to be aware of the weather prediction, according to Datuk Mohamad Dolmat, chairman of the Johor Fishermen’s Association.
“They have to constantly monitor weather conditions and forecasts before deciding whether they should go fishing.
“This is crucial as going out to the sea during bad weather is very dangerous. They could lose their lives.
“Unfortunately, this also means their income is affected as the more they stay on land, the fewer sea products they get to sell,” he said.
Fisherman Jeffree Salim, 40, claimed that recently, because of the severe weather, he could only venture out to sea two or three times every week.
“I won’t go down to the water on those days because it has been pouring so regularly lately.” He added that his revenue has been impacted: “On days that I do go fishing, I will go with at least one or two other fishermen and will aim to be home by around midday.”
