Brunei Top Fish Consumer in Region
BERAKAS, 13 August 2007,
Monday - BRUNEI can be considered a "fish" nation with consumption of 45
kg per person or equivalent to 16 million tonnes a year. It makes the
country one of the highest fish consumers in the Asean region, in terms
of per capita. This was revealed by the Deputy Minister of Industry and
Primary Resources (MIPR) yesterday.
Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah Hj
Abd Wahab said the current forecast of Brunei's fisheries potential is
estimated at $200 million per year, of which 50 per cent are from
imports.
"Given the size of our
territorial water, we feel that one of the more promising growth areas
for sustainable development is less in captured fishery, and more in
aquaculture sector," he said at the opening of the International Shrimp
Health Workshop.
Based on existing sites,
the aquaculture sector's potential worth is $71 million annually, 14
times more than the current aquaculture business of which the target
area is in shrimps.
He continued, through a
three year renewable project with US-based aquaculture technology
company, Integrated Aquaculture International (IAI), local shrimp
farmers would be assisted in facing the challenges of the industry.
"We are
seeing promising results from this latest initiative," said Dato Hj
Hamdillah adding that the partnership also aimed to increase
competitiveness among local shrimp farmers, improve production
efficiency, and enhance the ability to attract premium markets.
- Courtesy of the
Brunei Times -
