Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Sim Tze Tzin says seafood farming can overcome the problem of overfishing.
Sim said fishermen in the country catch close to one million tonnes of seafood yearly, and a recent assessment showed that fisheries resources have dropped by 4% on the west and east coasts of the peninsula. A fisheries department report had said recently that overfishing is likely factored by Malaysians’ appetite for fish. Malaysians are said to be one of the largest consumers of fish in the world, at 57kg per person each year.
He said the aquaculture industry includes fresh and processed fish , seaweed products and ornamental fish . He said Penang has more than half of the market share in the RM3 billion aquaculture industry. Its main commodity is the marine finfish, comprising seabass, grouper and snapper. Overall, Penang produced 47,742 tonnes valued at RM1.67 billion last year.