When the river rises, the ‘lundu’ arrive

When the Kinta River begins to rise during the rainy season, Anuar Osman knows there is little time to waste.

For about a week, schools of “lundu” – a type of catfish – move through the river in large numbers, creating a short but lucrative fishing season for those who know where to place their traps.

Anuar, 49, is an inland fisherman who also manages an oil palm smallholding. Catching lundu is not his main livelihood but, when the river swells, the opportunity can be hard to ignore: on a good day, catches can exceed 100kg.

“When we see the water rising, we have to quickly set the ‘belat’ because the fish only come in for about a week,” he said, noting that they “retire” from catching them once the river drops.

The belat, a traditional fish trap positioned along the river’s course, is particularly suited to lundu. The fish have sharp spines, making them difficult to remove from nets once they get entangled.

Another inland fisherman, Shahril Yeop Mat Sibi, 37, said the lundu appear to move from the lower reaches of the Perak River into the Kinta River when water levels rise.

The traps do not require bait: instead, the fish move in schools with the current and enter the belat placed strategically along the riverbanks.

“As long as the belat is not full, the fish will keep entering,” Shahril, who also works in a school canteen, explained.

“Once it fills, we bring it up quickly because more fish from downstream will continue moving upstream.”

For fishermen who understand the river’s seasonal rhythms, the brief migration can provide significant extra income.

Trader Jasnurol Iznal Zainal Abidin, 43, said he sells between 300kg and 600kg of lundu a day during the season at around RM30 per kg, depending on supply.

His biggest haul came last year, when he sold about two tonnes in a single day.

But the river’s bounty comes with risks. Crocodiles are known to inhabit the area, while rising water also means stronger currents and more unpredictable conditions.

Jasnurol cautioned fishermen not to underestimate the river, particularly when checking traps during periods of high water.

For experienced folks such as Anuar and Shahril, however, the signs are familiar: the river rises, the lundu arrive, the traps are set – and the season is on.

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