Chairman of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) Muhammad Faiz Fadzil when met by reporters
KUCHING: Sarawak's geographical location, which not only has a vast sea, but also vast land, provides great scope for developing aquaculture projects in the state.
Chairman of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM), Muhammad Faiz Fadzil said this opportunity opens up great potential to develop Sarawak through aquaculture activities.
“We have land that has high potential for aquaculture and we intend to implement this plan in Asajaya in the future.
“The Asajaya area will be made another area directly involved in aquaculture activities,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after officiating the LKIM Chairman’s Rahmah Mesra MADANI Ceremony with PNK Satang Biru Fishermen 2026 at the Telaga Air Esplanade, here, today.
In this regard, he revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is targeting fish production in 2030, of which 40 percent involves the aquaculture sector.
“We see aquaculture as a new sector in the fisheries industry that can sustain fish supplies, thereby increasing fishermen’s income.
“Therefore, LKIM encourages PNK or State Fishermen’s Associations to be directly and actively involved in the field,” he said.
Meanwhile, he advised fishermen to take advantage of the modern facilities provided, including the Tanjung Bako and Tanjung Manis ports, to increase the amount of fish caught in Sarawak.
He said that the fish catch in Sarawak only reaches around 38,000 metric tonnes per year despite having modern facilities, compared to Perak which is capable of catching up to 200,000 metric tonnes per year.
“Fishermen need to change their mindset, change their attitude to modernise their equipment and take advantage of the opportunities available.
“Don’t rely on traditional or conservative methods alone, but instead need to move towards a more modern approach that promises higher catches to change the lives of fishermen,” he said.
In another development, he explained that disaster relief due to the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) is still in the assessment process, but those who qualify will receive a maximum of RM10,000 depending on the level of damage.
“The total allocation has not been finalised, but every eligible fisherman will receive the assistance through the Natural Disaster and Fishermen’s Welfare Fund,” he said.
