GEORGE TOWN, A total of 92.3 per cent of eligible fishermen from south of Penang Island have registered for the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) Scheme under the Penang South Islands (PSI) reclamation project. Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said that the engagement sessions are being conducted with eligible fishermen who have yet to register before the SIMP registration deadline on March 31. "The registration for SIMP among eligible fishermen has reached 92.3 per cent, including 100 per cent registration from the Permatang Tepi Laut and Gertak Sanggul units, as well as 92.3 per cent from the Teluk Tempoyak unit. "Meanwhile, other units namely Teluk Kumbar, Batu Maung, Seri Jerjak, Pulau Betong, and Kuala Sungai Burong have generally recorded more than 92 per cent, except for the Sungai Batu unit with only 54.22 per cent. "The Fisheries Department has also confirmed that 80 per cent, or 215 out of 272 fishermen who have not yet registered for SIMP, are inactive or no longer eligible," he said in a statement today. Farizan said the high registration rate reflected the trust and confidence of the fishing community in the state government's commitment to fulfill the promised benefits, including ex-gratia payments, provision of new boats and engines, education assistance, new sheds, upskilling training as well as jobs and business opportunities. To address the long-standing issue of mudflats, he said the project developer was committed to providing a navigation channel 250 metres wide, allowing fishermen to access the sea regardless of the tide. "Contrary to claims of sediment disposal, dredging activities have not yet commenced and are only expected to begin in 2027 according to the stipulations outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. "As part of the approval conditions, water quality monitoring also includes 24-hour real-time monitoring for total suspended solids (TSS) and the installation of silt curtains to prevent sedime nt dispersion," he said. Farizan said that the project developer also submitted water quality reports to the Department of Environment (DOE) every month since October last year, and up to now, they have not received any inquiries from the DOE regarding the submitted water quality reports, indicating that the reports are satisfactory and comply with the approval conditions. Farizan said that as a responsible government in addressing claims of declining catches due to reclamation works since last September, officers from the Fishermen's One-Stop Service Centre (PPSN) have been mobilised to conduct direct engagement sessions with fishermen and carry out comprehensive checks. 'Feedback collected from active fishermen uniformly denies any identifiable impact on their catches associated with the ongoing project. 'The state government does not deny the fact that reclamation can have an impact on the ecosystem, and this is why the Penang South Reclamation Ecology Offset Master Plan (PEOM) and SIMP are prepared to improve the environmental conditions and livelihoods of fishermen," he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
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