KUCHING: Sarawak is among the four states selected to be the focus for the establishment of ‘tukun’ complexes to boost aquaculture production and coral growth in national waters.
Department of Fisheries’ (DOF) Director-General, Datuk Adnan Hussain, said Sarawak, along with Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, had been identified as priority locations due to signs of coral bleaching as a result of rising sea temperatures.
He explained that this new approach of placing ‘tukun’ (artificial reefs) in a single concentrated location is seen as more effective compared to the traditional method of placing individual units separately in the sea.
“So far, we are focusing on three east coast states of West Malaysia, which are Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, as we have received many complaints of encroachment, and the fish stock in these coastal areas is quite critical, especially considering the narrow Straits of Malacca.
“However, we are not leaving Sarawak out of this effort,” he said.
He said these to reporters during a press conference at the ‘Rasa-Rasa Akuakultur’ Programme and the MyAgropreneur Fisheries (myAP), MyFisheries Community (myKP) Carnival organised by the Sarawak Marine Fisheries Department at the Majma Mall today.
He revealed that the department would consult the Ministry of Economy to request for funding for a five-year plan to ensure that marine resources are not affected by the destruction of coral reefs.
“We plan to request a large sum of funding, but we cannot disclose the amount yet as it has not been discussed with the Ministry of Economy.
“We hope to secure sufficient funding to ensure fair distribution among all the states,” he added.
Adnan added that the proposed ‘tukun’ complexes would also serve as recreational reefs, enabling fishermen to carry out side activities such as bringing anglers to the locations to earn additional income.
At the same time, he said, these complexes would also help prevent illegal trawling activities in traditional fishing areas.
For the record, Sarawak has about 200,000 artificial reef units since the programme
was established in 1984.
