Bandar Seri Begawan - Some 22 delegates of the 18th Meeting of the Mean Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi) took a closer look at Brunei's offshore aquaculture activities at Pelong Rocks Muara yesterday. Organised by the Fisheries Department, the delegation was greeted by Biomarine Sdn Bhd chairman Pg Ibrahim Pg Muda Haji Ibrahim upon arrival.
The aquaculture is the product of a joint venture between a local and Chinese company to form Biomarine Sdn Bhd.
The company was established after the Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Guandong and Fisheries Administration in China in September 2008.
To date, the company has about 60 cages where fish such as Humpback Sea Bass (Kerapu Sumboi-Sumboi), Malabar Rock Cod (Kerapu Laid or Kerapu Hijau), Tiger Grouper (Kerapu Harimau), Snubnose Pompano (Pahat-pahat Duai or Pompano) and Black Kingfish (Banglus or Gabus Laut) are cultured.
In 2008, fish cage production in Brunei was about 42 tonnes, according to Department of Fisheries. It was last reported that 60 tonnes had been produced in 2009, far below the potential 220 tonnes that the country should have been able to produce.
Secretary-general at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (Seafdec), Dr Chumnarn Pongsri, said that it was a good step for cage culture to be developed in Brunei. "Them is a potential to promote aquaculture in Brunei and it is a good idea to select the highly demanded and high valued (fish) species like groupers and pompano," he told The Brunei Times in an e-mail. He added that technical expertise in the area had been available for quite some time. "SEAFDEC is willing to facilitate information exchange and sharing on this activities, so that the cage culture of high value species (in Brunei) could be developed faster," he assured.
Commenting on the 18th ASWGFi meeting, Pongsri said that all the Mean member states had provided many useful suggestions and guidance for Seafdec to conduct more activities that conformed with the requirement of the member states. "Seafdec will try its best to provide the technical and scientific information to the As-ean member states, thus facilitate the formulation of science-based policy on fisheries in the region," he added.
The 18th ASWGFi meeting which began on June 23, discussed harmonisation of quality and safety standard (including quarantine and inspection procedures of fish and fish products) and development of guidelines for prudent use of veterinary drugs for aquaculture, among others.The outcomes of the meeting are expected to be brough to the Special Senior Officials Meeting of the 31st Mean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, slated for early August in Brunei.
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