Sabah can now export fish direct to other countries

KOTA KINABALU: Fish from Sabah can once again be exported directly to other countries after receiving the green light from the federal government recently, said Agriculture and Food Industry minister Junz Wong.

The minister explained that a federal Marine Department policy might have deterred wooden ships from countries such as Indonesia, China and the Philippines from entering Sabah waters to import live and frozen fish from the local industry players in Sabah.

He said the issue had been discussed with the Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub and added that a reformation plan was basically a done deal.

“Most of our fish farms don’t have ships or boats. The boats usually come from Hong Kong, the Philippines or Indonesia and together take (the fish) and leave. So for awhile, we were not able to export fish directly to China and Hong Kong but I have already sat down with them and they (federal) have no objections and actually extended the permission, allowing our breeders or exporters to continue exporting our Sabah fish to Hong Kong and China,” revealed Junz.

“We just need to streamline in terms of law and technicalities. I will make an announcement if we can go on with this but I think right now there is no prevention (to do so). It is just as a matter of technicalities and streamlining and everything would be okay.

“In the near future, we will sit together with MOA (Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry) and MOT (Ministry of Transport) to solve this in technical terms. We are going to straighten this out,” he added.

In another month or so, Junz also said the state ministry would be implementing an export ban of mud crabs, mainly from Tawau, and lobsters.

“We will control the export of lobsters, we will definitely control the capture of lobsters in the wild. When we implement a policy it has to be across the board and it cannot only be selected according to areas or which area,” he said.

He said Tawau folks could barely get their hands on the mud crabs caught in the district and hundreds of tonnes were exported out every other day.

Meanwhile, Junz disclosed that the ministry had plans to develop the downstream industry for Semporna seaweed.

“I think we are the only state producing good quality of seafood. That has been recognized by MOA, our federal counterpart. They actually recognize it and they are willing to assist us in expanding the business of seaweed. Not only planting seaweed but actually the downstream of seaweed,” he said.

Junz added various products, such as face mask, soap, makeup and food, can be developed from seaweed in Sabah.