LABUAN: The total fish landing in this duty-free island increased slightly by 0.93% to 3.3 million tonnes worth RM15.8mil last year.
Labuan Malaysian Fisheries Development Board director Fadhilah Azib said the increase over 2021 showed the productivity of fishermen coupled with favourable weather conditions throughout the year.
"We recorded a slight increase in fish landing driven by more activities and good weather conditions that allowed fishermen to go to sea.
"We hope the momentum will continue this year, and the board will continue to support fishermen and look into their (issues)," she said on Friday (May 12).
Fadhilah said the fish landings in Labuan were at the Kiamsam complex and in the board's jetties in several other villages.
She said part of the catch is for domestic demand with the rest exported to Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.
The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry had – in its engagement session with fishermen, deep sea entrepreneurs, fisheries industry players, frozen fish manufacturers and processors here in November 2021 – indicated the potential to grow the country's tuna catch.
It said the tuna fishing industry has great potential as a source of wealth for the country and could be developed in Sabah and Labuan, in line with the comprehensive transformation and development of the fisheries sector under the National Agrofood Policy 2.0.
However, for the industry to expand, it said both public and private sectors need to collaborate with investors and industry players to open bigger factories and operate more tuna fishing vessels with the aim of making Labuan a hub.
The ministry pointed out that the industry needed overall improvements throughout the value chain such as ports, transportation, storage, processing and such.
Value-added products such as tuna steak, canned tuna, satay, serunding, tuna skin crackers and the like could also be introduced, it added. – Bernama
