Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has proposed to the Federal Government to set up a National Marine Aquaculture Centre on some 3,000 acres in Merotai, Tawau.

A technical committee was formed chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry to work on a conceptual paper for this centre during a meeting at Wisma Pertanian, Wednesday.

An official proposal would be submitted to the Federal Government within three months and it is hoped that the centre would become a reality within two years.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail, who chaired the meeting, said they received positive signs that the Federal Government is seriously considering setting up such a centre in Sabah.

The meeting attended by marine aquaculture experts and various agencies had identified some components of the proposed centre. These include that the centre would become a place for producing aquaculture products using up-to-date technology and methods as well as good and sustainable environmental and natural resource management systems.

"In the proposed centre there will be aquaculture lots allocated for investors. It is expected to become a new growth area with same status as KKIP, POIC and SAIP and will be developed using the same approach for permanent food production parks (TKPM)," said Abdul Rahim.

The other components would be that the centre would become a place for research and development (R&D) as well as bio-technology in terms of aquaculture research; a place for processing of value-added aquaculture products; a national aquaculture training centre and a lab to provide analysis services for the breeders.

Abdul Rahim said the special focus of this proposed centre is to assist shoreline fishermen to venture into commercial activity so that they can climb out from the clutches of poverty, which would be in line with the Prime Minister's aspiration as well as agricultural policies.

He said presently there are about 25,000 shoreline fishermen registered in Sabah, with about 10,000-15,000 still in poverty.

"So with the setting up of the National Marine Aquaculture Centre, we will be able to assist them, we will also use the proposed centre as a hub for marketing and exporting aquaculture produce," said Abdul Rahim.

Earlier, Abdul Rahim said since 2001 the aquaculture sector in Sabah has been showing a rapid growth especially with the involvement of commercial-status companies.

Saying the State's aquaculture sector presently has the capability of producing some 20,000 metric tones per annum and hoped it could triple its production by 2010.

"But in order to encourage further growth of the aquaculture industry, the Government needs to provide support and various incentives to convince the potential investors," he said.

THE site for the setting up of the proposed National Marine Aquaculture Centre in Merotai is among more than 30,000 hectares gazette by the State government as Aquaculture Industrial Zone (ZIA).

The rest are in Tambisan (Sandakan), Klias (Beaufort), Menumbok and Pitas, which have already managed to lure some investors to carry out aquaculture activities involving tiger prawns, in-cage fish and seaweed among others.

"The Fisheries Department is also currently in the process of identifying other areas as well as applying for some areas to be gazette under ZIA," said Abdul Rahim.

It is also hoped that the centre will become a national centre for producing fries.

"Presently, Sabah is in short supply of fish fries. This has been a major problem as Sabah alone needs about 40 million fish fries today, we only can produce least than 20 million fish fries for the aquaculture sector."

"It is our hope about 55 per cent from the targeted fish production in Sabah will come from marine aquaculture by 2010," he added.

To a question, Abdul Rahim said if all goes smoothly they would start looking for investors.