Kelantan aims to draw tourists with pull-net fishing

The Star

09-05-2025

KOTA BARU: Kelantan will revive traditional pull-net fishing, once a common practice among local fishermen, as a new tourism attraction along its beaches.
State tourism, culture, arts and heritage committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor said the activity, which requires 20 to 30 people to haul a net along up to a kilometre of shoreline, allows visitors to participate directly rather than remain spectators.
'Pull-net fishing has largely faded from practice.
'We want to revive it not only as a cultural experience but as a healing and recreational activity that brings people together,' he told reporters at the launch of MATTA Fair Kelantan 2025 yesterday, Bernama reported.
The initiative is part of the state's Indahnya Kelantan 2025 campaign, which includes 41 tourism events covering heritage, arts, sport, eco and community tourism.
Kamaruddin noted the success of monsoon-season surfing introduced at Pantai Kemasin in Bachok last year, which drew more than 3,000 visitors, as a sign of growing interest in niche tourism.
The three-day MATTA Fair, which focuses on island destinations and ecotourism, targets RM5mil in sales and is expected to attract around 5,000 visitors.
Separately, Kamaruddin said the National Heritage Department is awaiting funding approval from the Finance Ministry to begin repairs on the Sultan Ismail Suspension Bridge in Kuala Krai, which is over a century old and reportedly at risk of collapse.
He said the department has completed a full structural assessment and submitted a funding request, expressing hope that restoration work would begin soon.