BAKO: Fishermen have been advised to diversify their economic activities to secure stable income instead of being idle, particularly during unpromising seasons, said Santubong member of parliament, Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

“Fishermen need to do other things as there are days when they cannot go to sea. If they depend solely on fishing, they will become unproductive during stormy days,” he said when officiating at Kampung Bako fishermen’s market yesterday.

Junaidi, who is also Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said they could either go into processing or get involved in some plantation activities such as becoming part-time farmers.

Pointing out that the government supports aquaculture, he said fishermen could go into farming to earn more income and also boost up the industry.

Citing his family as an example, he said his father who was a fisherman also grew some crops when bad season prohibited fishing.

“When I was a little kid, I remem-ber my father was not idle during stormy days. When he did not fish, he was active in the padi field.”

Warning that food crisis had occurred in many places, Junaidi said fishermen must acquire other skills so as to be able to do other things.

If fishermen could work on padi production when they cannot go to sea, they would become self-sufficient, he said.

“Major rice producers and exporters such as Thailand, Vietnam, India and Cambodia are facing reduction in rice production now. If this continues, the prices of rice would go up and everybody would be affected,” he said.

He also hoped that fishermen could make full use of the financial assistance given by the government to enhance their earnings.