13 FISHERMEN IN SETIU SUFFER HEAVY LOSSES AFTER BOATS DAMAGED BY HIGH TIDE PHENOMENON

BANDAR PERMAISURI, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Thirteen fishermen in Kampung Telaga Papan here suffered substancial losses when their boats, which has been their source of livelihood, was swept away by big waves early this morning.

Setiu District Officer Ahmad Rizal Mamat said in the 3am incident, a total of eight Class A and B fishing boats and 10 fibre boats anchored at the beach jetty in Kampung Telaga Papan were severely damaged.

"The total losses suffered by the 13 fishermen is estimated to be RM1.4 million," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

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Bernama's survey at the scene found that almost all the boats that had drifted for about two kilometres to the beach had been successfully brought ashore using several machinery such as bulldozers and tractors belonging to villagers who volunteered to offer their services. 

Boat skipper Khairul Hassan Mohammad, 53, said he estimated the losses he suffered at more than RM100,000 when a class A boat and two fibre boats he owned were severely damaged due to the high tide phenomenon at midnight last night. 

"The new fishing boat is worth RM120,000 while a fibre boat is RM20,000. I don't know how badly damaged my boats are but what is certain is that the engines of all the boats have been damaged. The price of a boat engine is not cheap," he said.

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Khairul Hassan, who has been a fisherman for more than 30 years, said last night's incident was the first time he had experienced it, and even during the severe floods in 2014, all his boats were safe.

Another boatman, Khairul Azman Abdullah, 44, said he was now more concerned about the fate of his three crew members who would lose their income while waiting for his two A-class fishing boats, which were broken and badly damaged, to be repaired.

He said although he had another trawler boat docked at the fishermen's jetty in Kampung Duyong in Kuala Terengganu, the boat was unable to catch large quantities of seafood.

"Previously, all my boats were docked at Kampung Duyong but because I did not go to sea during the monsoon season, I anchored my boats at the jetty in this village because it was close to my house. So it's easy for me to see the boat every day.

"These damaged boats will take a long time to repair. Not to mention that I haven't been to the sea for a month because of the monsoon season. I don't know when I will be able to go to the sea anyway. Maybe after the monsoon season is over, I still can't go out to sea while waiting for the boat to be repaired," he said.

 -- BERNAMA