Friday 11 January 2013

NO SEAMEN, BOATS GROUNDED






LYING IDLE.... Local fishing boats unable to go out to sea because of manpower shortage.

By : LIAN CHENG

KUCHING: Many coastal fi shing boats in the state are moored idle at wharves and jetties as their operators are finding it almost impossible to fi nd enough locals to work as deckhands.

Sungai Apong Kotak Fishing Association chairman Lau Hong Joong lamented that not a single person responded to his newspaper advertisements for deckhands.

“It is diffi cult to fi nd anyone who wants to be involved in this line.

I have tried recruitment through the newspapers at least two times, but no one responded,” said Lau to The Borneo Post yesterday.

The only solution to the shortage is to employ foreign workers but there is a stringent condition for their Class A and B licences which prohibits employment of foreigners to work in coastal fishing boats, he added.

“Sometimes we have to give up going to the sea because we cannot fi nd enough hands to work on the fi shing vessels,” said Lau.

He believed the main reason locals shun working in fishing boats was because once on board it would be eight or nine days before they would be back on land again.

“It is a job not many ar einterested in and most young people shun it, besides the reward is not particularly lucrative,” said Lau pointing out that even a small fi shing boat needed at least three to four persons for a fi shing trip.

He questioned why coffee shop owners could engage foreigners as workers but not fi shing vessel owners like them.

The deckhands are either paid a fi xed salary or certain amount of fi xed salary and commission based on the catch after deducting the expenses or solely by commission.

“The government has been very helpful to the fishing community through the diesel subsidies. This measure has been of great help to us.

“We hope the government will continue their very understanding way by relaxing the rules and regulations to ensure that our industry can go on,” said Lau

Supporting Lau’s call for permission to employ foreign workers for coastal fishing boats, Kuching Chinese Kotak Association Law Bee Soon said the ban on foreign workers had made it very difficult for the Class A and B fishing boat owners to operate.

He said Class A or B licence owners caught with foreign workers on board would be fined RM1,200 for first offence.

“If we are caught the second time, the fine increases to RM3,600 and the third time, RM4,800. The fourth time we are found to break that regulation, our fishing vessel could be confiscated,” Law told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

Only Class C deep sea fishing licence holders are allowed to engage foreign workers as deckhands to help in fishing. (BP)

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