KOTA KINABALU - The refusal by fishing boat operators to go out to sea pending a solution to what they claim are "exorbitant and fluctuating" jetty charges appears set to worsen before it can get any better. This follows their decision to continue their fishing boycott until Safma (Sabah Fisheries Marketing Authority) initiates a discussion with them (Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boats' Owner Association, KKFBOA) and jetty concessionaire, Sejahtera Bumimas, on an agreeable fish landing charge, instead of that imposed seven months ago.
As if that's not bad enough, fishmongers at the city wet market are also looking elsewhere to do business because of "fluctuating charges of basket fees and expensive stall monthly rentals". The fishing boat operators have brushed aside allegations of wanting to take control of the jetty operations – and by extension – the local fishing industry. KKFBOA Chairman Simon Hong said Wednesday that Sejahtera Bumimas clinched the deal when Safma decided to privatise the jetty operations through closed tender late last year. "We have no problems even if any other firm took over the management of the jetty, but it is the charges we are unhappy about," he said.
Hong admitted there are non-Sabahans among them but were not interested in taking over the jetty management. He also said although many were from the peninsula and Sarawak, they have been involved in the industry for some 30 years and when they came to Sabah there were hardly any locals engaged in the industry.
"We filled this need and even provided jobs to locals," he said.
According to him, several executives from the concessionaire approached him in December on whether the association was interested to manage the jetty by proxy. "The offer was that we pay them RM145,000 a month. We rejected it because we do not have that kind of money," he said. "In the months that followed the concessionaire revised their fees several times and this affected the fishermen, fishmongers and wholesalers at the city jetty. "Some of them claimed they lost count over how much they have paid for the upkeep as based on the official records, Sejahtera Bumimas had revised the fish landing fees in February, April, June, August and November, with the monthly landing rates, per landing rates and additional fish landing hourly rates," he said.
Other regular fees were also revised including, car and lorry parking charges at the Safma office compound and service charge of 10 sen for every kilogramme of basket used in their operations. Each basket can fill up 40kg of fish, with the rates fixed at RM4 per basket. Stall rentals were also increased from RM350 a month during Safma's time to RM600, RM800 and RM900, according to size. Hong said despite several meetings mediated by Safma, which should have seen Sejahtera Bumimas come up with fixed jetty charges, no improvements were made. "They never asked us to sign anything (denoting any fix rate agreement), thus we do not owe them anything.
To date, we do not know what mechanism they are using to calculate the landing charges," he said. He said problems began to surface in April, when a commotion broke out at the jetty as fishermen were not allowed to enter the platform to conduct their usual auction, unless they paid their outstanding charges. Since then, both parties endured months of protracted squabbles until the fishermen launched a boycott on Nov. 20, following a revised landing rate of RM90 per landing, following the appointment of a new Security Manager on Nov 13. It is understood the concessionaire have set their charges at RM70 and RM120 per landing for fishing boats and trawlers, respectively.
For one week the fishermen paid the dues to keep the supply going for local consumption, said Hong, "while security personnel engaged by the firm to collect fees looked like Chinese gangsters from Sarawak"– an allegation the firm has denied. Hong alleged there were 10 to 11 of such "security personnel" and that up to 30 police reports were made on the collection of fees by these men. On Monday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman instructed Safma to investigate and resolve the spat immediately to avoid consumers from being affected by the fee fiasco.
Safma had remained tightlipped over the incident with officers saying only the President, Datuk Jaujan Sambokong, would be able to comment. He is currently attending the Umno assembly in KL.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the fishmongers, Sadik Ebu, said unstable profit margin due to higher table charges by the concessionaire has resulted in several fishmongers moving out. "We are looking elsewhere. Its just a matter of time when half of us would be gone," he told a press conference at the DAP headquarters, here."Slowly, they (Sejahtera Bumimas) are replacing us, those of us who have been years selling fish in the market, with their men," said Sadik, adding he is certain several new fishmongers had ties with those working for the concessionaire.
He said he used to pay RM350 a month for his stall while the wet market was still under Safma, but now fishmongers are being charged RM600, RM800 and RM900 a month depending on the size of the stalls. Sejahtera Bumimas is now charging 10 sen per kg of fish as each basket can fill up to 40kg of fish. For a day's catch, fishermen would auction their load to fishmongers like Sadik who bargain for the filled up basket for the best prices. According to the Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boat Owners Association the bargaining process is determined by two parties agreeing on a price. Sadik said he had to push for the best price to maintain the controlled fish prices, while fishermen had no other choice but to absorb the basket charges.
"Otherwise, I have to push the prices of fish higher," he said. Sadik alleged that Sejahtera Bumimas staff had also provided him a special rate of RM2 per basket, but rejected the offer as other fishmongers were not enjoying the same privilege. He said his recent vocal statements against the concessionaire had also landed him in hot soup, after relatives of those working with Sejahtera Bumimas who are also fishmongers threatened to beat him up. Sadik had since lodged a police report over the threat.
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