Malaysian Companies Show Little In Tuna Fishing ff

Malaysian Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Tuesday launched the international tuna landing centre here and lamented at the absence of Malaysian-owned companies in the lucrative tuna fishing industry.

Only two foreign companies operating jointly with local participation were engaged in the business, with crew of their vessels comprising Indonesian and Thai nationals, he said.

He also said that the government had spent millions of ringgit to be a member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to make it possible for boats from Malaysia to fish for tuna in those waters.

Muhyiddin, who also launched two tuna fishing boats of Blue Ocean Fisheries Sdn Bhd, said the government had established facilities to train people as crew of deep-sea fishing vessels, including sending them to Japan for training.

”We have also supported the setting up of a co-operative that wanted to venture into the tuna fishing industry,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the people should seriously consider venturing into the industry as it was an international business with a huge demand for the fish, particularly in Japan.

He said the export of tuna from the landing centre here for 2004 and 2005 amounted to 6,266 tons valued at RM53 million, excluding tuna products and canned tuna.

The export of tuna from the centre was expected to rise by 15 per cent annually up to 2010, he said, adding that the government would expand the facility to make room for downstream industries.

Muhyiddin said the government proposed to make Malaysia the catalyst for joint ventures with countries such as the Maldives, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines in the fishing, processing and marketing of tuna as well as the production of value added tuna products.