Jeffrey releasing the siakap fry into the sea at Tanjung Lipat.
KOTA KINABALU (June 29): The Sabah Fisheries Department has been allocated RM400,000 this year for its program to release fish, mollusks and crustacean fry into the sea and rivers in the state.
To kick off the 2024 release program, 10,000 siakap (Barramundi) fry were released at Tanjung Lipat here on Saturday morning.
Eleven coastal districts have been selected for the fry release program this year involving the release of 30,000 Barramundi fry, 10,000 Sea Cucumber fry, 2,000 kilograms of Siput Sudu fry, and one million Tiger Prawn fry.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan officiated the program and took part in releasing the siakap fry on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters later, Jeffrey said the program is to increase fish stocks to ensure the supply of protein from fish sources is always sufficient for the people in addition to ensuring that the fishing industry continues to make a significant contribution to the state’s GDP.
“This also has an impact on and benefit fishermen and the target group consisting of rural, island and inland communities to obtain cheap protein sources and increase socioeconomic income,” he said.
The program, he pointed out, is an annual one and improvements will be made where necessary.
“My advice to anglers and fishermen to practice the catch and release method when they catch juvenile or undersized fish or marine life. They must think about the future and this is why it is very important to have the awareness,” he said.
Jeffrey also said that there are plans to reactivate the committee against fish bombing which was under the purview of the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry in the past.
The committee is now under the Agriculture and Food Industry, he said.
Meanwhile, Sabah Fisheries Department director Azhar Kassim said all illegal fishing methods including fish bombing are taken very seriously by the department.
“In fact we have just completed the MARDOF exercise which was done by the department and Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency. It covered the whole state and enforcement was done at sea and on land,” he said.
Action against the offenders were taken under the Fisheries Act 1985, he said and added that fish bombing activities were still being conducted in the east coast of Sabah.