SEMPORNA, Sabah’s seaweed industry, especially in Semporna, can be greatly expanded by emphasising on the development of high impact downstream products, Sulabayan assemblyman Datuk Jaujan Sambakong said.
The development of downstream products can be carried out with the support and assistance of the government, including in research and development (RandD) studies to value add to seaweed-based products.
He said that he was proud that his constituency was one of the areas with the largest production of seaweed in Sabah, and is sought after by overseas markets, especially China, adding that the national seaweed production was around 225,084 tons with a value of RM100 million last year, with 54 per cent coming from Sabah.
‘I have also been to China and shared my views on seaweed and I found our seaweed there, where they have many factories and use it to produce various downstream products to reap even more profit.
“It’s important to conduct RandD so that we know what we can produce from this seaweed, wheth
er to obtain soap, lotions, food, and with that gain more business opportunities, jobs that can help boost the income of the local communities,’ he told Bernama recently.
Jaujan expressed hope that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry would be serious in expanding the seaweed industry in Semporna and ensure that productivity in the sector is increased.
“I will also reach out to the minister (Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu) about the unbalanced price of seaweed that hinders operators from gaining a stable profit and to continue to produce seaweed effectively,’ he said, adding that the seaweed industry in his constituency had the potential to be developed into an agrotourism area that offered homestay experiences.
“The homestay tourism concept, it’s suitable at sea, there’s seaweed, there’s caged fish farms, we can create other activities besides snorkelling and diving, and the government needs to look into this, to introduce the village culture,’ he said.
Meanwhile Sal
leh Abdul Salleh, a seaweed cultivator in Sibangkat, also expressed his hope that the government would allow them to conduct agrotourism activities in cultivation areas so that tourists can have a different experience living with the ‘seaweed community’.
He shared that agrotourism could help diversify their incomes, as some operators in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park had previously suffered losses after their seaweed was eaten by sea turtles.
‘At that time, some cultivators took matters into their own hands and installed drift nets at their own expense, while my solution when we cultivate seaweed is to use cages so that turtles can gain access.
‘This is my pioneer project but the cost is steep, so we do need assistance from the government, similar to that given to fishermen,’ the cultivator of the brown seaweed known as Eucheuma Cottoni said.
Salleh, who is also the Semporna Fishermen Association chairman, also suggested that a special body concerning seaweed be set up to ensure that the industry is more pro
ductive and to ensure the welfare of cultivators.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency