KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's fisheries resources have exceeded 100 per cent self-sufficiency level to sustain the people.
This achievement enables the state to export its additional fish stock and bring in revenue to the state and country's coffers, which will go towards addressing the trade of balance said state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Based on last year's statistics, he said, Sabah exported 40,589.51 metric tonnes of marine products worth RM581.51 million.
The major markets were Peninsular Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
"We must continue to strive and be proactive, innovative and think outside the box to develop the fisheries sector, protect fishery resources to be sustainable and be ready to address present and future challenges for food security.
"I would also like to urge the Sabah Fisheries Department to continue managing the commodity properly and balance the local supply versus needs so that Sabah will remain able to provide seafood to the people," he said in a speech read by the ministry's deputy permanent secretary II Awang Dzulkernain Awang Hassan during the Sabah Fisheries Department senior officers' conference at a hotel here.
Kitingan also said that the time has come for the state to have its Integrated Fisheries Complex (i-Port) in several districts.
He said the existing jetties, such as the one owned by Sabah Fish Marketing Sdn Bhd in the state capital here, could no longer accommodate increased loading activities from fishing boats.
As such, he said, it needs to be moved to a more strategic place.
While building an i-Port is challenging because of the financial constraint, Kitingan said the Sabah Fisheries Department still needs to take on the role to provide a good and well-equipped infrastructure to support the thriving fishing industry especially the deep-sea fishing sector.
Meanwhile, he applauded the department for taking the initiative in using technology to create the Monitoring Centre Services (MCS) based at the department's headquarters at Wisma Pertanian here.
"I understand that in the future, there will be a permanent MCS centre in Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu.
"This effort is very good for the department to increase its efficiency in managing fishermen and controlling the exploitation of fishery resources on the coastline."
Apart from that, the Fisheries Department has also installed the Intruder Intervention System Vessel Monitoring System (iiVMS) on commercial fishing boats for 24-hour surveillance.
The iiVMS started in 2019 and was to be installed on 1,437 commercial ships. To date, 700 ships have had the system installed.
The department has also developed e-permits to ease application for export and import permits in Sabah. For now, it is being used here, as well as in Sandakan and Tawau.