Tanjung Manis to get its own ice plant soon
KUCHING: An ice plant will soon be set up in Tanjung Manis, Mukah to ensure that the state’s deep-sea fishing vessels will constantly land and upload their fish at the Tanjung Manis Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia ( LKIM) landing facility.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the ice plant would supply ice to the vessels to keep their catch fresh.
“The Tanjung Manis LKIM landing facility, which cost around RM260 million, has been underutilised where not many vessels land there. We found out that one of the problems was due to the lack of ice supply. When there are no ice supplies, that caused the deep-sea fishing vessels not to land at the landing facility available,” he told reporters after visiting Swee Kee Marine Sdn Bhd’s ice block plant, fish landing and individually quick-frozen (IQF) plant factory in Muara Tebas yesterday.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy, said LKIM had approved for Swee Kee Marine to set up its ice plant in Tanjung Manis.
“With this ice plant, I am very confident that there will be more fish landing in Tanjung Manis and there is no more excuse for any of the deep-sea fishing vessels not to land and upload their fish there,” he said.
Henotedthatwiththeavailability of the ice plant, a condition should be enforced to ensure the vessels must land in Tanjung Manis.
“We are monitoring this very closely to ensure that the licensees must land their vessels there. Any vessel found to have skipped or not landed according to the schedule on the second month, we will recommend their licence to be terminated.
“We have to be very strict because if we don’t do that, a lot of our fish will be sold mid- ocean and will go to foreign countries. This will be a loss to the state’s revenue and the people because we can’t buy fresh fish,” he stressed, adding that fish was among very important resources in the state and its exclusive economic zone ( EEZ).
Uggah called for the ice plant to be set up as soon as possible, especially with the looming dry season in the next few months.
“We hope by that time, there will be sufficient supply of ice available and with that, there is no excuse anymore. We will take stern action against any licensee who flouts the condition of their deep-sea fishing licence,” he added.
He said the planned ice plant will have a 300-tonne capacity.
“They might have to do more structuring and we hope that within these six months, they are able to come up with it.
“I will be closely monitoring them to see that they can produce as soon as possible so that we can enforce our regulations more stringently.”