About 120 coastal fishermen in Kuala Perlis claim that their livelihood hangs in the balance due to the failure of the state fisheries department's to renew or issue them fishing vessel licences.

About 70 fishermen whose vessel licences are due to expire by the end of this month and in August risk being fined and their vessels confiscated by the local enforcement authorities, while the remaining 50 or so have until October before their licences expire.

Speaking on their behalf, fisherman Ismail Yatim said it was bureaucratic red tape that is the cause of their problems.

"It is just karenah birokrasi (bureaucratic deficiency), but it is affecting about 80 percent of the local fishermen who need the licences to earn their living," said Ismail when contacted.

Ismail is also a director of the Perlis Association of Fishermen.

While many of the fishermen are seeking only a renewal of their vessel licences, others are applying for new ones following their acquisition of new boats.

Ismail said even fishermen who, through government loans, have been able to replace their old wooden boats with new vessels made of fibreglass, were denied their licences.

Among the reasons for the denial, he said, is the department's insistence that their officers be shown the old boats.

The problem with this, however, is the fact that among the conditions for acquiring a licence for a new vessel is that the older boats be destroyed.

"We are told that the old boats have to be destroyed. But when we ask for the licence after the boats have been disposed of, they ask to see the old boats," said Ismail.

He added that despite a dialogue with the fisheries officials held in January this year, the matter has reached an impasse.

In a statement, Action-Network of Peninsular Malaysia Fishermen (Jaring) said various efforts, including a dialogue held earlier this year with the local fisheries department had not produced any results.

"Fishermen feel as if their efforts are in vain, like dogs howling on a hill or as if we have been talking to a wall," said Jaring chairperson Jamaluddin Mohamad.

Problems exaggerated

In the same statement, Penang-based environmental group SAM urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries to intervene to expedite the fishermen's applications.

Contacted later, Perlis fisheries department director Abdullah Md Dan said the problems had been exaggerated.

"We are not saying we are perfect. We accept criticisms and regard them positively. However, the claims that we have not renewed or issued new licences for as many as 120 fishermen is not true," he added.

Throughout the whole of Perlis, he said, Kuala Perlis fishermen make up about 95 percent of the 120 applications that have been submitted.

Of them, only two have been rejected this year, while 56 have had been issued licences or had their licences renewed, he added.

Of the two fishermen whose applications had been rejected, Abdullah said this was because "one had told us he had destroyed the boat when in fact - he admitted later - he had actually given the vessel to his uncle in Kuala Kedah."

"The other fishermen also told us he had destroyed the boat when in fact he had sold the boat to a fisherman from a neighboring country," he added.

Twenty applications, meanwhile, pertain to fishermen who are seeking to renew their vessel licences but who have made modifications to their vessels without having obtained permission to do so, said Abdullah.

He said the remaining applications are still being processed.

"It is not that we have rejected their applications outright. As we told them, they have to go through the proper procedures in order to acquire their licences," he added.