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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

SABAH AS WORLD CLASS LOBSTERS PRODUCER


BY :MOHD JEFRI RADIUS

THE World’s fisheries is dramatically under pressure as a consequence of humans’ rising demand forsea products . During the recent conference of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission(WCPFC) held in Manila; participants raised their alarming concern that drastic measure must be takenby reducing 30 percents of its catch that mainly comprised the vulnerable big eye tuna species fromthe production of 151,000 metric tonnes annually.

Not only to preserve tuna stocks or varieties vide statistics of catch in 2011 e.g Skipjack tuna (1.4 million tonnes) and Yellowfin tuna (550,000 metric tonnes) respectively, which is on the verge of depletion, butother marine life as well that are caught and hauled accidently including lobsters which lured the growingmiddle class mostly from the Asian region.
Mr. Asis Perez, Head of the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries was quoted recently by AFP correspondent in Manila as saying “The area covered by the WCPFC provides 50 per cent of all the tuna catch globally“.

Generally, about 75 per cent of the global fisheries have either been fully or even over exploited whichmeans wild catches cannot increased sustainably .

The New South Wales’ Port Stephen Fisheries Institute report forecasts that with the limited supply from the wild, the aquaculture sector caters the alternative as having the potential to supply the need of an additional 74 millions metric tonnes by 2025, which is more than 40 per cent of the present aquaculturecapacity, thereby justifying the importance of the sector in question as the world’s fastest growing food,which is expanding rapidly at the rate of eight percent every year.

As an example, the RM 2 Billion Integrated Lobster Aquaculture Park (ILAP) located in Semporna, bestknown as the gateway to Sipadan , one of the world’s best diving heavens, is expected to transform theeconomy of this south west coastal town in Sabah, once the new agri-business model is set fully in operation to bring about more big changes over the next few years.

Significantly, over the long term it presence could turn Semporna into a major player in the global seafoodindustry parallel to or in the same way Intel ‘s first overseas factory in Bayan Lepas that had successfully turned Penang into Asia’s Silicon Valley. Once Penang started making Intel’s microprocessors, it showcased the resources available in the State to other global technology companies.

Other technology players soon followed suit upon Intel’s fruitful establishment of its foothold in Asia , thustransforming Penang into a world powerhouse in electronics. Today , export of the commodities fromBayan Lepas are earning a turnover to the tune of RM 20 Billion per year. Over the years Intel has spread itsoperations from a mere five acre site in 1972 to the present space of over 160 acres.

The partnership between Penang and Intel has brought other spin – off benefits as well. Intel has set upresearch programmes and laboratories in Universiti Sain Malaysia (USM) comprising not just computer technology but also in materials and mineral research. Intel and other technology companies haveindustrial placement programmes benefiting USM students.

Prospectively, If the 9,300 hectares ILAP is successful under a joint venture with Yayasan Sabah, Semporna could be the seafood industry as Penang is to the electronic manufacturing. The aquaculturepark is a new agri-business model which is expected to revolutionise the global seafood industry. The totalinternational trade in seafood is more valuable than the global trade in all other animal protein put togetherand some 37 percents of the world ‘s fish production is exported, thus making it the most globally tradedanimal protein.

In two years time, the ILAP will kick off its commercial phase. This new agri-business model is identical tothe concept implemented by the Federal Land Development Authority or FELDA, which created new opportunities for farmers to own small holdings of palm oil in the 1960s and 1970’s. This is the basis forMalaysia ‘s successful palm oil industry, which has a 45 percents share of the global market.

Farmers who participate in the ILAP will have a guarantee buyback from Darden Restaurants Inc, a USFortune 500 company and the world’s largest owner and operator of full service restaurants . Darden serves nearly 400 million meals a year in the 1,900 plus restaurants it owns and generates sales of more than USD 7.5 Billion annually.

The company in question has developed a breeding technology for spiny lobster, which is indigenous toSabah waters. Initially, under the guarantee Lobsters grown by farmers will be bought by Darden that willthen sell the products to Asian consumers.

Eventually, when the ILAP has built up its optimum capacity, Sabah lobsters will also be served in Darden’s strings of restaurants presently located throughout the United States.

The strategic geographical location along with the clean water of Semporna considered a natural disasterrisk free zone are among the conducive environmental factors luring the RM 2 Billion ILAP investment onthe northern part of the Borneo Island.

The ILAP is the jewel of the Yayasan Sabah spearhead joint venture via its subsidiary Inno Fisheries Sdn. Bhd with Nanyang Nexus Sdn.Bhd to incorporate Lobster Aqua Technologies Sdn.Bhd, through which Yayasan Sabah and Nanyang Nexus will develop and manage ILAP and will further roll out investment inrelevant infrastructural development namely roads, power supply, jetties and docks etc.

While Nanyang Nexus is itself a joint venture between Darden and a local aquaculture expert Dr ShahridanFaiez, the first Malaysian elected to the Board of Directors of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), theworld’s leading international organization for aquaculture.

Dr Shahridan together with his partner Sharizal Shaaarani formed Ever Nexus Sdn.Bhd, which is Darden ‘sstrategic partner in Malaysia.

The ILAP is expected to hit full scale capacity by 2029 with the production target of 40 million pounds orabout 18,000 metric tonnes of spiny lobsters yearly. Sales are projected to be about RM 3 Billion then. It willhave three cutting-edge hatcheries for hatching and breeding spiny lobster.

The hatcheries are the key to ILAP ‘s sustainability, producing stocks of lobsters to be grown out to reachmaturity size.

Currently, lobsters farmers around the world are still sticking to the tradition of catching wild lobsters forfurther breeding in their farms or ponds until reaching maturity with the right commercial grades andspecifications, this methodology is posing a real threat to the depleting population of wild lobsters withintheir zones of habitation in the open seas.

Thanks to the leadership of the State Government under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Sabah withits abundant natural resources will be able to tap this lucrative and growing market in partnership with theglobal player the US Company Darden Industries.
ILAP will be a new model of agri–business, seen as a catalyst to turn Sabah Economic Transformation ‘svisions and missions into reality as a major seafood player, thus dubbing the booming coastal town ofSemporna as the Bayan Lepas of the global seafood industry in the next couple of years

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