Aquaculture Output Experiencing 15 Per Cent Growth A Year

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, July 13 (Bernama) -- An annual production of 800,000 tonnes of aquaculture products will be realised by Malaysia in five years with a growth of 15 per cent each year, according to Fisheries director-general Ahmad Sabki Mahmud. He said the positive development in the sector would enable Malaysia to compete with Asean's main aquaculture producers, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. "The aquaculture sector has shown a large increase. We developed the sector carefully by learning from the mistakes of other nations," he told reporters after flagging off the 2012 Fisheries Media Travel, here, Thursday. Statistics show the industry produced 478,245 tonnes of fish worth RM2.4 billion in 2009 and 727,300 tonnes worth RM7 billion is tageted by 2015. (US$1=RM3.19) Local aquaculture products continued to be in high demand in the world market with Europe, United States, China and Japan seeking prawns while fish was the top seller in Singapore. -- BERNAMA