KUALA TERENGGANU: Two aquaculture farmers suffered RM50,000 in losses after a rengas tree fell and damaged five cages containing ikan baung (Asian redtail catfish).

One of the farmers, Zubaidi Mohamad, 52, said the incident, which took place yesterday, was one of the worst in his 18 years of fish rearing. He estimated his loss at RM20,000.

“Two cages were damaged and all the baung escaped,” he said, adding that there were about half a tonne of fish in the cages.

“Six months of hard work, all in vain. I never expected the 40-year-old tree to fall into the river,” he said.

Zubaidi claimed that erosion could have weakened the river bank and the recent strong winds could have uprooted the tree. He added that he has to now fork out RM10,000 to repair the cages and purchase fish fry to breed a new batch of baung.

As for Muhamad Zhafri Muhamad Ghazali, 23, the youth was very upset because the three cages damaged were holding baung that will be right for the market in another two months.

“It takes a year for baung to reach a marketable size. “My losses are about RM30,000 but I will not give up because my livelihood depended on this venture,” he added.

-New Straits Times