July 26, 2012

 

 

In order to achieve higher fish output to meet local and international demand, the private sector of Sarawak, Malaysia, is being encouraged to invest in commercial aquaculture.

 

Fisheries Malaysia Director-General, Datuk Ahmad Sabki Mahmud, believes that Sarawak could become the leading producer of farm-raised fish in light of its vast lands and water area.

 

He said the Fisheries Department had identified at least two sites under the Sarawak Aquaculture Master Plan spanning 8,567 hectares, which are suitable for the establishment of Entry Point Project (EPP) for four integrated cage fish farms and six integrated aquaculture industrial areas.

 

The proposed master plan was designed to change the fisheries sector from a traditional project into a business venture to be set in motion by the private sector, Ahmad Sabki explained, The Star reports.

 

"Therefore, we hope the potential that Sarawak has can be realised through the approval of the area as the aquaculture industry zone, which will enable the private sector to invest and implement the projects," he stated at the opening ceremony of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), Agriculture and Aquaculture briefing.

 

Ahmad Sabki said the price of fish in Malaysia was very attractive and the trend is expected to continue along with the country's population growth, along with global demand for fish, which would eventually push the price up further.

 

"This aquaculture sector is growing rapidly and it will not slow down even if there is economic recession because the population keeps increasing and the demand for food based products is inevitable," he affirmed, Borneo Post reports.

 

"Whoever invested in the fisheries or aquaculture sector will certainly gain," he commented.

 

He said that potential investors should not think just of the local market or even of Malaysia but of the global market instead.

 

"If a small country like Norway and Holland can become global supplier of fish, Sarawak too can be like them given its vast tracts of land and water as compared to the two countries. Malaysia or Sarawak's achievement in this sector will depend very much on the commitment of the Government and the private sectors to go commercial," he added.

 

Ahmad Sabki expressed confidence that if the government and the private sector collaborate to boost aquaculture, the goal to produce enough fish for both domestic and overseas consumption could be achieved in 2020.

 

The sector is also aiming to create 74,600 new jobs, largely in rural areas, and to increase the incomes of farmers participating in the NKEA initiatives by two to four times.