The peninsula of Malaysia has 73,000 fulltime fishermen. They supply 70% to 80% of the protein intake to West Coast Malaysians. In return, 54% of the fishermen earned less than $124 a month, 40% earned between $125 & $229 a month while only 6% earned between $300 & $600.

In the past two months several coastal areas in Penang (Sungei Udang, Acheh, Bakau and Amen) suffered from illegal trawler activity operated by the Japanese. 'Apollo nets' with drag weights are used, causing extensive damage to fish breeding grounds by dredging the seabed, destroying fishing equipment and the nets of inshore fishermen.

The fishermen had protested to the government as early as August '73. In July '77 the Consumer Association of Penang asked the government to order the immediate withdrawal of Apollo trawlers. On 7th January this year 1,500 fishermen of the affected areas refused to go out to sea in protest. More recently over 1,000 fishermen if Kuala Sungei Muda voiced their concern.

The State Authority and the Fisheries Dept. have made no concrete moves, at most offering lip service. Worse still, they continue to issue more licences indiscriminately. (53 in 1970, 1,173 in 1971). The average earning of each trawler crew member has dropped from $174.80 (1966) to $97.16 (1974)

With these problems confronting them one wonders how they are going to have enough to eat and clothe themselves and their families properly.