Nelayan mogok: Harga ikan didakwa naik 30 peratus...

Harga ikan dan makanan laut naik kira-kira 30 peratus sejak nelayan laut dalam dan pengusaha bot pukat tunda C2 mogok dua hari lalu, dakwa ahli parlimen DAP Nga Kor Ming, yang juga membidas kerajaan kerana gagal menyelesaikan isu berkenaan.

Nga (DAP-Taiping) berkata kerajaan sepatutnya membantu pihak yang terjejas itu dan bukannya mengeluarkan amaran dan ancaman terhadap mereka yang mogok itu. Kira-kira 500 nelayan dan pengusaha bot tunda engan turun ke laut dan berkumpul di kompleks Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia di Kuantan bagi menuntut kerajaan mengembalikan sunsidi super yang dinikmati mereka sebelum ini.

Nga tidak ada sebab bagi Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani Datuk Seri Noh Omar mengugut untuk menarik balik lesen nelayan di zon A, B dan C berkenaan. “Pendirian Pakatan adalah jumpa dan bincang segera dengan nelayan kelas C2 berhubung mogok itu,” kata Nga. “Sejak mogok bermula, terdapat pengurangan kira-kira 30 peratus bekalan ikan dan tambahan 30 peartus harga ikan,” dakwanya.

Pemegang lesen C2 adalah mereka yang dibenarkan menangkap ikan di kawasan 30 batu nautika dari pantai manakala bagi pemegang lesen B dan C merupakan nelayan yang hanya dibenarkan menangkap ikan dalam lingkungan 20 batu nautika dari pantai. Hanya pengusaha bot pukat tunda terbabit dengan keputusan pemotongan subsidi.

Kerajaan telah memansuhkan pemberian diesel subsidi super kepada sembilan kategori kenderaan di sektor pengangkutan barangan termasuk teksi limosin berkuatkuasa 1 Jun lalu.

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The government should assist fishermen and trawler boat operators affected by the subsidy cut for diesel, instead of warning them against continuing their strike, said Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming.

About 1,000 fishermen and trawler boat operators in Kuantan, Johor and Perlis have refused to go out to sea for three days, to back their demand for super-subsidy diesel.

They have threatened to prolong their strike if the government does not assist them immediately.

“Pakatan's stand on the matter is (that the government should) immediately meet with the Class C2 fishermen who are on strike,” the DAP parliamentarian told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today. “Since the strike began (two days ago), there has been a 30 percent drop in (fish supply) and a 30 percent increase in fish prices.”

He added that Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar's warning to fishermen from the A, B and C zones not to get involved in the strike - on pain of losing their licences - is unwarranted.

'Negative feedback'

However, Agriculture and Agro-based deputy minister Chua Tee Yong acknowledged today that the sudden reduction in diesel subsidy has drawn “a lot of negative feedback”. “In terms of subsidy rationalisation for the fishermen, the initial decision by cabinet was to restructure the subsidy... I hope the fishermen will still be considered for a subsidy - if not the super-subsidy, at least a subsidy," said Chua.

“We hope that they will continue to fish so that there would not be any disruption in supply,” he said, adding that he is keen on arranging a meeting with the relevant parties to resolve the matter.

Noh had threatened that the ministry would direct the Fisheries Department to import more fish from neighbouring countries and increase the issuance of import licences to enable this, should the strike continue.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said the strike should not go on because the subsidy has only been reduced and not withdrawn. The current price is RM1.80 per litre compared to RM1.25 previously.

source:malaysiakini

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