BY NUR FARIHAN RAZALI
MUKAH: Seafood is abundant in Mukah due to its proximity to the sea.
With the onset of the fishing season, locals seized the opportunity to head out to sea recently. Their game? Fish varieties that can be turned into salted fish.
According to salted fish seller, Abdullah Osman Rosli, 22, during the fishing season he is able to process between 80 and 90 kilograms (kg) per day.
“These fish are caught by my father and siblings. If it’s not during the fishing season, then I will buy from others at the wet market and process into 30 to 40 kg of salted fish.
Abdullah, better known as Cik Doly, was introduced to the salted fish industry when he was just nine years old by his mother who taught him how to prepare salted fish.
“Until now, I am still assisted by my mother and sister in this business.
“In addition to the salted fish business, I also cook for Doly Kitchen, which provides catering services for packed meals, prayers, birthdays, and so on, from 10 am to 10 pm,” he said.
Doly Kitchen is a business that provides cooked dishes from home.
He said that during the fishing season, he will close Doly Kitchen to gut and clean fish as there are many orders from the public.
“There aren’t enough hands during the fishing season because we start processing the fish at 4am and finish at 4.30pm. Sometimes from 10am to 6pm, and the process involves cleaning, drying, and carrying the salted fish.
For Cik Doly, this year is somewhat different from previous years as the fishing season arrived before Ramadan.
“It is a blessing in the holy month, and the response from the public is very encouraging. Some customers have to wait for their fish supply and place early orders from us.
“Customers who buy are not only residents around Mukah but also from Dalat, Oya, Matu, and Igan as well as from Bintulu, Sibu, Kuching, Sarikei, Miri, Johor, and even Indonesia.
“For deliveries to Indonesia, we use buses, while for deliveries to Johor, we use J&T courier services.”
“Some of my customers from Indonesia work here, and I will also deliver to the markets and fields where they work,” he added.
He pointed out that they only sell from home and promote via WhatsApp and Facebook.
“However, if customers request delivery, we will deliver to their location,” he added.
Producing salted fish has it own share of challenges, said Cik Doly.
“The rainy season is very risky for usbecause we are concerned the fish being dried may still be damp. If this happens, we have no choice but to discard the fish.
“Furthermore, if there is a shortage of ice or if the rain persists, it is even worse because we cannot dry the fish.
“It is undeniable that processing salted fish is very tiring because we dry them in an open and hot area.”
Having said that, Cik Doly has set his sights on further developing the salted fish business he inherited from his mother.
“Hopefully next year we will make various fish-based dishes such as fish sambal, peanut fish sambal, and wet sambal with salted fish,” he added.
