Vanishing Catch How Plans For Pangkor Threaten Food Security

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Every morning, millions of Malaysians in the peninsula tuck into their favourite breakfast and comfort food - the nasi lemak.
A key component of that is the humble anchovy. Dried and salted, it provides a powerful umami flavour to many Malaysian dishes.
Yet, few realise that a large portion of dried anchovies is produced in Pulau Pangkor, Perak, which is now the focal point of a massive redevelopment project aimed at bringing millions of tourists to the currently pristine island.
Locals and activists warned that if the Pangkor Island Special Area Plan (Pisap) - drafted in 2024 and includes shopping malls, luxury hotels, and land reclamation - were to proceed, Pulau Pangkor’s entire fisheries industry would be put at risk.
ADSPisap aims to cash in on Pulau Pangkor’s duty-free status, granted in 2020. The plan aims to attract 2.87 million tourists a year and promises to increase household income on the island by RM1,164 a month.
The catch? Substantial redevelopment of Pekan Pangkor would displace jetties and infrastructure needed by fisherfolk to make room for new tourist facilities.
Islanders met by KiniTV expressed scepticism about the plan, warning that a pivot away from the island’s fisheries industry in favour of tourism would have dire consequences on Malaysia’s food security.
Industry experts estimate that 40 percent of anchovies consumed in Malaysia come from Pulau Pangkor alone. The fishing industry there also supplies much of Malaysia’s other staples, including ikan kembung.
Changing Pangkor’s identity
Former Manjung municipal councillor Shamsul Izwan - a former fisherfolk - said Pekan Pangkor is the preferred choice for the fisheries industry because of its strategic location, which protects boats from the elements.
“We need this place to park our boats and process anchovies. You can’t disturb this place unless it’s for upgrading purposes,” he explained.
He said many on the island work two jobs. Apart from tourism, some turn to fishing during the off-season or other industry-related jobs to support themselves.
“If we forgo the fishing industry and sell duty-free goods, how long can this last? Just look at Langkawi,” he said.
Stella Ho, a senior lecturer at Sunway University specialising in sustainable community development, warned that Pisap’s goal was to reshape Pulau Pangkor’s economic identity, including pushing those in fisheries into new jobs.
“But here’s the thing: Not everyone wants to be a tour guide,” warned Ho, who studied fishery policies in Pulau Pangkor.
Currently, Pisap is still in the proposal stages, and the environmental impact assessment has yet to commence, although developers are already eyeing parcels of the project. 
To understand more about Pisap and the views of locals and experts on the matter, please watch the following mini-documentary by KiniTV.
The mini-documentary is supported by the Macaranga Environmental Reporting Mentorship, supported by Youth Environment Living Labs, administered by Justice for Wildlife Malaysia. - Mkini

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