Pontian picked to spearhead cockle production

PONTIAN: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has selected Pontian district to install an international standard system that could enhance cockle production.

The system would make it easier for fishermen and cockle farmers to penetrate the global market and generate more income.

Pontian MP Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the six-year UTM research managed to remove toxic metals from the bivalve mollusc species (shell seafood) such as cockles, mussels and oysters more effectively.

“Statistics show that Pontian recorded the highest number of cockle production at 1,000 tonnes, followed by Batu Pahat (350 tonnes) and Muar (150 tonnes) last year.

“We hope that this year, Pontian can produce 2,000 tonnes of cockles using Molluscure,” he said at a press conference in Ayer Baloi yesterday.

Ahmad, who is also Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, said with Molluscure, 90% of toxic metals and chemicals such as plumbum, chromium, nickel, cadmium and arsenic could be removed from the cockles in a twoand-a-half-hour process.

UTM Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research senior director Prof Dr Abdull Rahim Mohd Yusof, who led the research, said the invention was aimed at achieving the permissible standards of the EU Commission Regulations 2006.

“The environmental friendly system can process up to 700kg of cockles per cycle.

“As a pilot project, we have invested RM300,000 to develop the system and plan to extend it to other areas upon request,” he said.

His team members were Prof Dr Wan Azelee Wan Abu Bakar, Prof Madya Dr Razali Ismail, Dr Faizun Abdullah and Ihsan Wan Azelee.

The innovation is a joint venture between UTM, Focus Systems, Malaysia Innovation Agency, Johor Strategic Innovation Institute, the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry and Fisheries Department.