Sabah fisheries industry to meet EU standards

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KOTA KINABALU: The government is making efforts to improve facilities and provide necessary assistance to the fisheries industry in the state so that Sabah seafood products can meet international standards for export.Sabah Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin, commenting on the call by seafood processors here for government assistance to tap into the European Union (EU) market, however said that this effort could not be done overnight and would need some time.

“The state and federal government through the fisheries department are cooperating towards this end, to have the seafood products recognised by international bodies so that they can be exported to other parts of the world,” he told reporters when asked about assistance including financial funding from the government.

He said this after presenting the cost of living allowance to fishermen under the Kota Kinabalu district, here yesterday.

Seafood processors in the state had said they needed to improve their facilities quickly to remain competitive and avoid losing out when the EU started looking at other countries for imports of seafood products.

Yahya said the government had allocated a significant sum of money to improve the industry here and was also organising seminars to impart knowledge to fishermen on the international requirements for exports.

On another note, Yahya gave an assurance that there is enough fish supply in Sabah for both local consumption and exports to peninsular Malaysia.

Asked about news of depleting fish supply due to over-fishing and over-exportation of fish outside Sabah, he replied: “So far as my Ministry is concerned, we haven’t received such reports but on and off we heard stories like that.

“To say there is depletion of fish (supply) in Sabah is untrue because we have enough.

“The only problem is fish bombing and those using poison, although it is not rampant.

“We do not want to deprive the fishermen of further income. We have enough fish for local consumption so whatever is extra should be exported,” he added. — Bernama