1.

0 Introduction
Sabah Fish Marketing Sdn.Bhd (SAFMA) is a marketplace for
marketing fish products and also is categorized as fish, seafood-wholesaler. It can
be dedicated to wholesale trade between fishermen and fish merchants, or to the
sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both. Retail fish markets, a type of
wet market, often sell street food as well. This market are mainly deal with
wholesale trade, and the existing major fish retail markets continue to operate as
much for traditional reasons as for commercial ones. It is also the port of landing
fishes directly from boat 3am which people can come and retail buy at
wholesale.

SAFMA was located at Lot 2, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens Sinsuran,

Sabah, 88400 Locked Kota Kinabalu, Bag 10988999 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
According the research information, as early as 9pm, fish mongers already
need be in their stalls located by the wet market in Kota Kinabalu to await the
presence of fishermen who bring their catches. The catch is brought up to the
jetty and sold to wholesalers. Then the fish mongers will buy the seafood from
wholesalers before selling it to the public. After that, as early as 1am, people are
beginning to visit the stalls and the closed time is 6am morning. This market is
the best place for people to get fresh seafood and the atmosphere is very lively
with the behaviour of fishermen, wholesalers, traders and people who come to
buy. Besides the fresh marine products sold, the most attracts people to visit
SAFMA is the price offered. There are variety of fish and other marine products
such as frozen prawn, cuttlefish, squid, shrimp, octopus, abalone and crab for
sale with the price offered is much cheaper. There is also has suppliers get their
marine products and transit to factory for produce the intermediate goods. Plus,
there is also have people to buy their marine products from the fish mongers for
produce the fertilizer. This can shows that SAFMA is a wet market to proceed all
commercial business and provide good quality of marine products to final
consumers.

2.0 Objective
a) To recognize what type of fish is sold by the fishmonger in SAFMA
b) To know the activity is held there.

3.0 Report

As we discover the fishmonger there is mostly local resident in Sabah.

There are almost 50 fish monger at the SAFMA. The fish monger always in pair or
in a group of 3 to work together. Divided in a square the fish monger apply
healthy competition among the fish monger despite of the similarity their have.

Figure 1 : Some of the fish monger. (Source: Own Photo)

Next is about what time of fish that are sold. Mostly it was ikan basung .
Almost every fish monger sells it. Due to high demand from the local and it was
the season, it was the cheapest fish you can buy at the market. Apart from that
there was lumahan,ikan kayu and squid. This three fish can be at nearly half of
the fish mongers. The price is acceptable. The squid is fresh and quite cheap.
The small size is RM 7 for a KG and by 5 am they decrease it to RM6. The bigger
size quid can reach to RM 12 per kilogram. Next is sting ray and tuna. Sting ray is
quite a delicacies but only quarter of the fish monger is selling it. Same as tuna
fish, the tuna is quite smaller compare to the average Asian tuna size. The tuna
is expectedly to be expensive. And it was cut to small part before selling it. Next
are prawns and crabs, these two types of seafood is on high demand by the
customer or the restaurant. But only several fish monger is selling prawn and
crabs, the amount of prawn is higher than crab. There were different type of
prawn, but the small one is the cheapest, and mostly the fish monger sell these
types of prawn rather than the tiger prawn which is not in season during our
visiting time. Apart from that, Puffer fish and shells is also sold at there. There
are two or three stall are selling this kind of fish.

Figure 2 : Squid (Source:Own Photo)

:Own Photo)

Figure 4 : Tuna and Ikan Kayu (Source: Own Photo)

Figure 3 : Prawns (Source

Figure 5: Sting Ray (Source: Own

Photo)

After we checked out the type of fish, we casually ask the fish monger how
is their annually sale. But almost all of them cannot count how much they make
annually being a fish monger. One person name Azri, he sell mostly ikan basung
throughout him being a fish monger for a year and half he said, every day he can
make total sales of RM 150, but it depend on how the season. Helfy said he can
make to RM 200 for total revenue when squid is in season. Mostly the fish
monger is depending on the fish season and the buyer demand. He adds up, that
sometime buyer does not buy sea creature like squid, crabs or prawn, because of
the high price.

For over a few decades, besides selling fresh sea catches, this fish market
that is centered at the heart of the city of Kota Kinabalu has been supplying sea
catches to several seafood factories.
Fishermen will usually make their catch at around 2 or 3 in the morning and
will dock at the jetty at around 4.30a.m to 5.30a.m. Most of the fishermen will
sell their various catches at the market.

Figure 6: Various kinds of fishes and sea produces are sold at the morning fish market
(Source : Own Photo)

There are fishermen who transport and supply sea catches such as fishes,
squids, prawns, and other various sea produce to seafood products factories to
make frozen seafood products such as fish balls, fishcakes, crab meat sticks and
many more.
Firstly, the fishermen will sort the types of fishes and sea produce and fill
them in different crates. These crates will be sorted out according to the types of
fishes, sea produces and sizes. After the fishes are sorted out, these crates will
be weighted for the mass of each crate to get the pricing of the fishes according
to their types, weight and the process of their catch due to weather condition.
The sea produces in crates will be transported by using huge lorries to
signed factories in and out of Kota Kinabalu to be made into frozen seafood
products. The lorries usually transport the sea produces at around 5.30 in the
morning while the streets are still empty to get smooth traffic and to avoid
catching in a jam for a period of time that would spoil the quality and the
freshness of the sea produces.

Figure 7: Fishes and sea produces separated and sorted out in crates (Source : Own
Photo)

Figure 8: Fishermen and dealers weighing the crates of sea produces (Source : Own
Photo)

Figure 9 : Sea produces are sorted and kept fresh at the dock (Source : Own Photo)

Figure 10 : Fishing boat arriving at the docks with fresh sea catches (Source : Own
Photo)

SAFMA is not only for fish monger but also have a section only for fertilizer.
There are more than 20 boxes of fertilizer made from ikan kendaman . These
fertilizer are mostly use for fish breeder who have big pool. We cant find the
person in charge during that time. The local said he is resting in one of the boat.

Figure 6: Ikan Kendaman for Fertilizer (Source: Own Photo)

Conclusion
After the visit, we know how the fish mongers do their daily routine,
despite of lack sleep to early morning work, they still doing what their best at.
SAFMA is not only a place for fish mongers, but also the home for fishing boats,
supplier handling their good to ship out to the factory and the fertilizer maker. All
of these activities are balancing the nature of eco-system. There are no fish to
waste. But at the same time we should protect endangered marine creature from
being exploited for exotic food such as sharks fin and turtle eggs. This visit had
enlightened us with vast knowledge about fishery economic activity. Before, we
were bound to the second hand seller and not expose to the real deal from the
fisherman boats and jetty. Now we know that actually the fish market is a very
huge economical site.

References
1. Azri ( Interview, 23 March 2016)
2. Helfy (Interview , 23 March 2016)
3. Mr. Liew (Interview, 23 March 2016)