KUANTAN: Fisherman Mohd Faizal Abidin is facing an uncertain livelihood as the worsening haze is limiting his trips to sea, just weeks before the approaching monsoon season is expected to ground him ashore.
The 41-year-old from Kampung Cempaka here said the unexpected haze has dealt a blow to small-scale fishermen, as poor visibility prevented them from venturing far offshore.
With the monsoon season approaching, the father of four said it was unusual for haze to last till October, as it typically occurred during hot weather after the monsoon season ended in March.
"I usually go out to sea about 5am and return around noon, but these days, I only leave about 8am. The poor air quality prevents us from travelling far or spending long hours at sea. ...I now venture only about 500 metres from the shoreline.
"Some fishermen who venture further offshore to cast their nets rely on global positioning system (GPS) devices to avoid getting lost in the poor visibility. Further out at sea, the haze resembles thick fog covering the surroundings," he told the New Straits Times.
Faizal said fishermen in Kuantan were racing against time to earn a living before the monsoon season, expected to begin next month, forces them to take on odd jobs to put food on the table.
"In the past, the year-end rainy weather was already a challenge for fishermen. Now, we have to deal with the haze just weeks before the monsoon season.
"Despite the haze, we still have to go to sea to earn a living," he said.
Meanwhile, fisherman Mohd Asri Abd Rahman, 54, said the community had little time left to make a living before the monsoon season arrives, adding that missing the opportunity to fish now would make the coming months even more difficult.
"The haze is unpredictable, and we only realise how thick it is after setting out to sea. Sometimes, we cannot see anything because everything appears white.
"The haze has worsened over the past few days. If it continues into next month, fishermen may have to take a longer break until the monsoon season ends next year before returning to sea," he said.
Kuantan Fishermen Association chairman Talib Husin advised fishermen to ensure their GPS devices were in good working condition before heading out to the South China Sea.
"Even when fishermen venture far offshore or encounter heavy haze, GPS devices can help guide them back to shore.
"Class A fishermen usually operate up to five nautical miles from the shoreline, but during hazy conditions, those with smaller boats tend to stay closer to shore," he said, adding that Kuantan had about 600 fishermen.
Two air quality monitoring stations in Pahang recorded unhealthy air quality at 3pm today, with Balok Baru in Kuantan recording an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 160 and Rompin recording 158.
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