El Niño could hit fishermen, fish farms as temperatures soar to 40°C, says Mat Sabu

The Agriculture and Food Security Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, highlighted concerns about the impact of El Niño, which could push temperatures up to 40°C, affecting coastal fishermen and aquaculture operations in Malaysia.

An increase in government allocations is proposed to assist fishermen, particularly those confined to coastal regions, as fish migrate further offshore.

Additionally, the aquaculture sector may face rising costs for protective measures.

The government discussed strategies with the Prime Minister to strengthen national food security in light of these challenges, emphasizing the importance of early preparations and information dissemination to mitigate potential impacts.

KOTA BHARU, Oct 16 — Coastal fishermen and aquaculture operators could be hit if El Niño pushes temperatures up to 40°Celsius, prompting calls for early preparations to protect the country’s food production.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the phenomenon could drive fish farther out to sea, posing a challenge for coastal fishermen who lack the capacity to fish in deeper waters.

He said the government had discussed preparations for El Niño with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as part of efforts to strengthen national food security.

“Among the measures is an increase in allocations for coastal fishermen; during an El Niño event, temperatures can climb as high as 40 degrees Celsius, which significantly impacts them.

“Fish tend to migrate further offshore, yet coastal fishermen are generally restricted to fishing within a five-nautical-mile radius; they are not equipped to venture further out or fish in deeper waters,” he told reporters after attending the 2026 Kelantan State-level Convention of Parti Amanah Negara here today.

Mohamad said the aquaculture sector could also face challenges if temperatures rise significantly, particularly over the cost of installing protective measures such as canvas covers over fish-rearing ponds.

He said early preparations were crucial to help farmers and other agrifood operators mitigate the effects of hot weather on their activities.

Timely dissemination of information to these groups was also essential to help them take appropriate measures, he added.

Mohamad said the possibility of haze further complicated preparations for the potential impacts of El Niño. — Bernama

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农业及粮食安全部长拿督斯里莫哈末沙布强调了对厄尔尼诺现象影响的担忧，厄尔尼诺现象可能导致气温高达 40°C，影响马来西亚沿海渔民和水产养殖业。

为帮助渔民，特别是那些局限于沿海地区的渔民，随着鱼类向更远的海域迁徙，政府提议增加拨款。

此外，水产养殖业可能面临防护措施成本上升的问题。

鉴于这些挑战，政府与总理讨论了加强国家粮食安全的战略，强调了早期准备和信息传播对于减轻潜在影响的重要性。

哥打巴鲁，10 月 16 日讯——如果厄尔尼诺现象导致气温升至 40 摄氏度，沿海渔民和水产养殖户可能会受到冲击，因此有人呼吁提前做好准备，以保护该国的粮食生产。

农业及粮食安全部长拿督斯里莫哈末沙布表示，这种现象可能会迫使鱼群游向更远的海域，给缺乏在深海捕鱼能力的沿海渔民带来挑战。

他表示，政府已与首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣讨论了应对厄尔尼诺现象的准备工作，这是加强国家粮食安全努力的一部分。

“其中一项措施是增加对沿海渔民的拨款；在厄尔尼诺现象期间，气温可高达 40 摄氏度，这对他们造成了重大影响。

“鱼类往往会向更远的海域迁徙，但沿海渔民通常只能在五海里半径范围内捕鱼；他们没有设备去更远的地方或在更深的水域捕鱼，”他今天在出席吉兰丹州国家诚信党2026年代表大会后告诉记者。

穆罕默德表示，如果气温大幅上升，水产养殖业也可能面临挑战，特别是安装防护措施（例如在养鱼池上覆盖帆布罩）的成本问题。

他表示，提前做好准备至关重要，可以帮助农民和其他农产品加工者减轻高温天气对其生产活动的影响。

他还补充说，及时向这些群体传播信息对于帮助他们采取适当措施也至关重要。

穆罕默德表示，雾霾的可能性进一步加剧了应对厄尔尼诺现象潜在影响的准备工作难度。——马新社

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