The barramundi fish on display during the ceremony at the Anjung Saujana Restaurant, Brunei International Airport on May 24. - BB
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Barramundi Group (B) Sdn Bhd (BGB) celebrated the inaugural harvest of its barramundi fish to mark 100 tonnes production in the Sultanate for the year during a ceremony at Anjung Saujana Restaurant, Brunei International Airport on Tuesday (May 24).
The harvested fish, available for domestic and export markets, will be marketed under the brand name Kuhlbarra.
BGB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barramundi Group Limited (BGL) headquartered in Singapore, is listed on the Euronext Growth Oslo in Norway.
BGL’s shareholders include the Government of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah through the Strategic Development Capital Fund under the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
The establishment of BGB aims to increase the volume of fish farming activities in the aquaculture sector, representing another achievement in the Sultanate’s efforts towards economic diversification.
On Tuesday, BGL’s Chief Executive Officer Andreas Peter Illum Wildfang von Scholten welcomed Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Ali Apong, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah and Minister of State for Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and Environment Desmond Tan to officiate the inaugural harvest ceremony.
The event saw the signing of two agreements on the lease and operation of a fish culture farm at Lot 70301, Sungai Mangsalut Aquaculture Site, Kampong Tanah Jambu measuring 17 hectares and the supplementary sea occupancy licence agreement for fish farm area at Pelong Rock Offshore Fish Cage Culture Farm Site A measuring 776 hectares, between the Government of His Majesty and BGB.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Ali and Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Mohd Amin Liew witnessed the signings between Director of Fisheries Department Noraini Anggas and the BGL CEO.
With the agreements, BGB will expand the development of its farms specifically in offshore fish farming, fish hatchery and processing, which will boost production and indirectly contribute to the local economy.
The company plans to establish full value chain from hatcheries, nurseries, sea cage farm, processing to marketing Kuhlbarra. It has the potential to produce 3,000 metric tonnes of barramundi fish annually by 2026 valued at approximately USD30 million.
At the ceremony, the BGL CEO presented guests with an overview of BGB’s development since its establishment in 2019 to its operational commencement in 2021 and to the inaugural harvest.
BGB is also collaborating with Royal Brunei Culinary (RBC) to feature some of the Kuhlbarra dishes at their restaurants at Anjung Saujana and Dynasty commencing next month.
Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Heng Aik Yeow, senior officials and representatives from both governments and other stakeholders also attended the ceremony.
