MAJUIKAN, a wholly-owned outfit of the Fisheries Development Authority
of Malaysia (LKIM), has introduced an aquaculture programme to increase
income and provide jobs in the East Coast states.
The tender process for the Fish Protech programme in Tok Bali, Pahang,
had started, according to a statement from East Coast Economic Region
secretariat yesterday. The programme will start in November.
“Trial runs will be done in December with operations starting in January
2009,” the secretariat said.
Construction works for another project will soon
start at a site in Kuala Pahang, Pekan.
LKIM director-general Datuk Mustafa Ahmad
said RM10 million each has been allocated for
the Tok Bali and Kuala Pahang sites involving
300 participants at each location.
“Each participant will receive a contribution of
RM500 a month. Rearing species such as
barramundi, grouper, jade perch and marbled
goby, the fish fetches an average RM16.50 per
kg,” Mustafa said in the statement.
Fish Protech is also implemented in Kuala Nerang in Kedah and Muar, Johor.
The project is a shift from the conventional method of breeding fish in cages to a
fully-integrated, pollution-free water recirculation and filtering system developed in
Australia, the secretariat said.
“With the Fish Protech technique, a farm can harvest fish three times a year,” it
added.
Data shows that Malaysia imported 171,450 tonnes of fish worth RM856 million from
January to June 2005.