Taiwan-based Sea Party International Co Ltd (SPI) and its subsidiaries will invest MYR2 billion (US$587 million) in Malaysia's Tanjung Manis Halal Hub, involving aquaculture activities.

SPI has broke ground for its MYR30 million (US$8.8 million) research and development centre at Tanjung Manis located at the state of Sarawak.

Under the first phase of its development, SPI will spend MYR318 million (US$93.5 million) for aquaculture activities such as tilapia breeding, chlorella cultivation and production of halal collagen and gelatin.

The second phase involves production of gelatin from tilapia scales, bones and skin, organic prawn farming and vendor development programme.

SPI president Ray Lin said the project is supported by the farming and fishing industries in Taiwan, and is backed by help from the professors of the National Taiwan Ocean University and the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

The group's proposed projects would provide jobs and business opportunities for the locals, along with assistance and training in fish and prawn farming, said Lin.

The vendor programme will also help locals to breed fish and prawn using biotechnology, he said.

Lin said the group's three units - Sea Party Industry Sdn Bhd, Sea Party Technology Sdn Bhd and Sea Party Biotech Industry Sdn Bhd - would focus on feed milling, producing biotech chicken and eggs and downstream processing, respectively.

Sea Party Biotech will process tilapia wastes such as bones, skin and scales into collagen and gelatin in the forms of hard and soft capsules, he said.