UMS has potential to become national aquaculture incubator - Khaled Nordin

26 Jun 2023 08:14pm

Khaled Nordin

KOTA KINABALU - Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has the potential to be a leading aquaculture incubator in the country as it is the only public university that has facilities to be developed as fish and crustacean hatcheries.

Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the facilities at the aquaculture incubator at UMS Borneo Marine Research Institute are capable of producing hatchlings for the aquaculture industry in this country.

"This university is the only one that has this incubator and the ministry will pay attention to help empower this incubator, it not only meets the issue of food security in terms of fish supply but also gives opportunities to any party who wants to become an entrepreneur.

"Breeding (of hatchlings) has been done (here) and has reached the stage where this (know-how) should be transferred to society,” he told reporters after officiating the opening of the Aquaculture Incubator building at UMS here today.

Also present were UMS Board of Directors chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan and UMS vice- chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor.

The UMS aquaculture incubator began operating at the end of last year with eight marine fish breeding tanks, breeding or hatchling tanks (16 units) and tanks of various sizes for fish breeding.

It also has a treated seawater and freshwater supply system, ventilation system, research laboratory and administrative room.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said the ‘Komuniti Bombon Marakau’ project in Ranau implemented by UMS was the best approach in trying to transfer knowledge to the local community and which should be emulated.

Earlier Mohamed Khaled witnessed the exchange of Memorandum of Agreements (MoA), firstly between UMS, represented by Kasim and Malaysia Kuwaiti Investment Co. Sdn Bhd (MKIC), represented by its Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah (HE), and also with Yun Fook Resources Sdn Bhd (YFR) represented by its director Datuk Yap Yun Fook.

UMS, in a statement, said the MoA with MKIC is for integrated coconut cultivation, including the study of fodder production from agricultural organic waste, while the MoA with YFR is a project for integrated palm oil cultivation.

In a separate statement, UMS announced a research consultancy collaboration with Wong Akuakultur Sdn Bhd worth RM232,000 for two years to study the potential of 'duckweed' as food for the 'Chanos Chanos' fish, also known as baulu fish among the local community of Sabah. - BERNAMA