KUCHING: Sarawak remains the largest producer of tilapia in Malaysia, successfully meeting the nation’s fish supply needs, said Malaysia’s Director-General of Fisheries, Datuk Adnan Hussain.
He cited that this achievement was the result of aquaculture projects in Batang Ai.
“The country’s Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) for fish supply increased to 91.6 per cent compared to 90.7 per cent the previous year.
“This demonstrates the nation’s ability to meet local demand, which currently averages 48.1 kilogrammes of fish per person per year,” he said while speaking at the Handing Over Ceremony of New Patrol Boats for the Department of Marine Fisheries Sarawak at the Fisheries Jetty, Region 1, Santubong near here yesterday.
He added that national fish production last year reached 1.9 million metric tonnes, with 1.3 million tonnes from capture fisheries and 511,000 tonnes from the aquaculture subsector.
Meanwhile, Adnan said that the handover of the two new patrol boats would be fully utilised to strengthen the implementation of Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) activities under the Fisheries Act 1985.
He explained this was in line with Malaysia’s obligations after signing the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (FSA) under the World Trade Organization (WTO) in February 2024.
“With these new assets, the Fisheries Department can enhance its capability to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.
“We must protect the rights and livelihoods of local fishermen from intrusions by foreign fishermen, particularly from Vietnam,” he said.
He reiterated that the two patrol boats, estimated to cost RM4 million—about RM2 million each would improve monitoring and enforcement activities in the state’s waters.
The boats are equipped with high-tech radar systems, allowing for more comprehensive and effective patrols, including at night or in adverse weather conditions. They are also fitted with ‘Shockwave’ seats to reduce the impact of wave shocks on the enforcement personnel’s spines.
