Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee launched the Tuna Industry Development Strategic Plan 2021-2030 and the South China Tuna Industry Development Strategic Plan, Sulu Sea, and Sulawesi Sea 2021-2030 in W.P Labuan.
The plan strategic plan by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) involves six core thrusts aimed at improving the tuna fishing industry in the country.
It is a continuation of a similar plan launched 19 years ago in 2002.
Ronald Kiandee said the strategic plan is also in line with the government’s hope of meeting the development policy of the country’s deep-sea fishing industry which is also in tandem with the National Agrofood Policy 2.0.
“The strategic plan targets a competitive outcome which is to ensure that the development of the tuna industry in the country can be implemented more comprehensively through the addition of more deep-sea vessels for tuna fishing in the Malaysian Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and the high seas and improving tuna landing in Malaysia to 150,000 metric tonnes,” he said at the launch.
Other goals included the creation of new integrated deep-sea fishing and tuna vessels, achieving 85 percent compliance with local and international agreements, and boosting the domestic and worldwide markets for high-quality tuna-based products.
“The strategic plan will also help provide the catalyst for the development of the tuna industry through private investment, sustainable development of the tuna fishing industry and meeting international standards, the development of human capital in fishing and tuna processing and finally improving technology development,” he said.
Ronald stated that, despite the fact that Sabah and Labuan are located in East Malaysia, tuna harvest in the South China Sea, Sulu Sea, and Sulawesi Sea must be regulated and exploited, in order to boost tuna landings and local fishermen’s revenue.
The strategic plan’s six core thrusts are as follows: Core 1: Compliance with Domestic and International Instrumentation for Deep Sea Fishing and Tuna; Core 2: Development of Vessel Specification and Tools and Tuna Quota Determination; Core 3: Development and Enhancement of Tuna Fishing Technology, Core 4: Development of a Management System, Control, and Tuna Fishing Profiling; Core 5: Improving Tuna Fishing Monitoring Capacity and Improving Post-Catch Quality and Value-added Tuna Fishing is Core 6.
MAFI introduced the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030 (DAN 2.0) in October to accelerate economic growth and increase people’s welfare, while also prioritising food security and national food nutrition.
“Aside from DAN 2.0, one of the measures being done by MAFI through the Department of Fisheries (DOF) under the National Food Security Policy 2021 – 2030 (DSMN) that is aimed to guarantee food security is the drive for deep-sea fishing through vessel modernisation.”
