Guerlain Pata, Malaysia – On a cloudy morning six years ago, Mohammad Ridwan Mohd Yazid was returning to the southern coast of Malaysia's Johor state when his small fishing boat was caught in a sudden storm.
Within minutes, the calm March south wind turned into a gale, whipping up the open sea and slamming into his boat, knocking him and the day's catch into the air.
Ridwan landed alone near the boat's engine about a kilometer (about half a mile) off Singapore's northwest coast, then quickly turned around and headed for land.
“I didn't care if I lost half of my catch that day. I just wanted to go home,” the 30-year-old told Al Jazeera in an interview at a coastal pier in Pendas, a fishing village in southern Malaysia's Johor state. Told.
Ridwan's story is not an isolated one, but is shared by many traditional Malaysian fishermen who are increasingly affected by the climate crisis. The climate crisis is changing weather patterns that have long controlled when and where you can fish.
These fishermen are estimated to make up about 65 per cent of the total fishing community in Malaysia, and fish the beaches and rivers near the coast or along rivers to encounter local fish, clams, crabs and other marine animals. They are small-scale fishermen who operate in communities and prai waters. request.
They typically use single-engine boats about 7 meters (23 feet) long to cast their nets up to 5 nautical miles from shore along the country's more than 4,600 km (2,858 miles) of coastline.
However, extreme weather events caused by climate change, rising ocean temperatures, and declining fish stocks are gradually pushing them away from the oceans they and previous generations once depended on.
“Before, you didn't have to go far to get good catch. Just go near the coast,” said Mohd Hafiza Abu Talib.
Currently, wind direction can change without notice, making it dangerous for people who usually work alone or fish at night, he said.
“The wind can suddenly change direction and take us somewhere else. It's even worse when you're fishing in the dark and don't have GPS,” said a man in his late 40s. added.
warming water
United Nations research shows that oceans absorb 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, and 90 percent of the heat produced by these emissions is trapped in the Earth's atmosphere.
The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed daily sea surface temperatures since early January at 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit), one degree warmer than at the same time 30 years ago.
Human-induced emissions are increasing the average temperature of the oceans, causing melting of polar ice, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, ocean heatwaves, and more intense and unpredictable weather.
Mangroves have also been damaged, and coral reefs, which are breeding grounds for fish, are also bleaching.
Professor Mohd Fazil Mohd Akil, an oceanographer at Universiti Terengganu Malaysia, said marine animals were found to be sensitive to ocean temperatures and move to colder areas when the ocean warms.
“Just because the weather gets warmer doesn't mean the fish won't be available everywhere,” he says.
“Most marine life in the tropics migrates to cooler areas when the area warms.”
A 2022 University of British Columbia study found that climate change will force 45 per cent of fish that transit two or more exclusive economic zones to leave their natural habitats by the end of the century.
Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) refers to an area of ocean or sea that extends approximately 200 nautical miles beyond a country's territorial waters.
The prospect of further declines in already declining harvests is a huge blow to Malaysia's coastal fishermen, who have invested thousands of dollars in a difficult trade that often offers scant returns.
Each boat costs about 14,000 Malaysian ringgit ($2,928), and thousands more are needed for nets, engines and fuel.
On a good day, Pendas fishermen can catch more than about 300 ringgit (about $62) of fish and crabs at sea, and depending on the season, it can be more. But fishermen who have been fishing here for decades complain that there are fewer good days than there used to be.
“I used to be able to gain weight up to 30 to 40 kg.” [66 to 88lbs] I eat several crabs a day,” said Shafi Rahmat, 63, who has been fishing for 50 years.
“I have gained about 10 kg now.” [22lbs] in a day. Just not worth it. ”
“A dramatic collapse”
Initially, fishermen in the region blamed coastal and industrial development for the decline in catches.
Chief among the complaints was the construction of an artificial island that makes up the Chinese-backed 2,833-hectare (7,000-acre) Forest City real estate project, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Pendas.
But Selina Lerman, a conservation scientist who has been working with fishermen in the region for more than 15 years, also said there was a “dramatic collapse” as the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. I noticed that there was.
“We always thought it was development that was affecting fish catches,” said the National University of Singapore lecturer.
But Selina and other fishermen have noticed that fish stocks have not recovered as much as expected, even though coastal development, which was previously blamed for the decline in fish catches, stopped during the lockdown.
She said dredging in the past had been shown to increase catches of certain species, such as shrimp, but climate change had no such benefit.
“That's when we really saw a decline in the catch, because during COVID-19, we saw a complete decline in the catch,” Selina said.
Spurred by dwindling supplies and extreme weather, some of Pendas' fishermen, with support from local environmental groups, banded together and built offshore fishing platforms to earn more income.
Colloquially called a “keron” or “raft,” this floating wooden structure serves as a managed aquaculture breeding ground and spot for visiting anglers.
Each platform has the potential to earn up to 100,000 ringgit ($20,920) in fish per year. It's much less risky than going out to sea.
Mr Ridwan said there were now “many” birds around the Johor coast compared to just three or four 10 years ago.
Tired of the unrewarding situation, he has taken several breaks from work over the past decade to take on odd jobs, including as a delivery driver during the pandemic.
He finally called it quits two years ago and sold the boat. Ridwan now works as a diver and sometimes maintains a platform for fishermen in Pendas and feeds the fish they farm.
“Everyone here wants to be a fisherman,” he said. “But what's the point if it's not good for us? We have to change with the times.”