World‘s first commercially hatched lobsters
The Integrated Lobster Aquaculture Park (iLAP) mini commercial hatchery is now home to the world’s first ever commercially hatched Panulirus ornatus, commonly known as ornate spiny lobsters.
TUARAN: The Integrated Lobster Aquaculture Park (iLAP) mini commercial hatchery is now home to the world’s first ever commercially hatched Panulirus ornatus, commonly known as ornate spiny lobsters.
This ground-breaking milestone marks a massive leap for Sabah in cutting edge aquaculture technology and brings Malaysia another step closer to the global market for lobsters that is valued at over USD4 billion a year.
“Only a handful of people in the world have the knowledge and technology to successfully culture the critical 11 stages and undergo metamorphosis from larvae form to juvenile lobster,” Dr. Shahridan Faiez, president and CEO of Lobster Aqua Technologies Sdn Bhd, shared.
No one has ever successfully bred these large edible lobsters in captivity until now. Sabah,
with its ideal natural tropical
environment is now the landmark for this historic event.
“The waters have to be pristine to ensure successful breeding,” he adds.
This scientific breakthrough will put Sabah on the map as a state with sustainable agrifood production, and Malaysians, as world experts i n l obster aquaculture. The RM3 billion and 15-year lobster aquaculture project is expected to create 20,000 high income j obs by 2028.
The hatchery-based lobster juveniles are already deployed into sea-cages for the first time ever in Semporna.
“We are proud to have successfully localised this hatchery technology. This is how technology and talent come together and become a powerful catalyst for transformation. Without state and federal government support, none of this would have been possible,” Dr. Shahridan said.