‘Scavenger fish’ being cultured and bred for a bigger market

KOTA KINABALU: What used to be regarded by some as scavenger fish is now being cultured and bred for a bigger market.

The streaked spinefoot rabbitfish is now being bred for the first time in a Malaysian hatchery.

Bayu Aquaculture Sdn Bhd, the company behind the effort, was recognised in the Malaysia Book of Records yesterday.

Sabah Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Junz Wong said no hatchery in the country had ever done this before.

He said the accomplishment could draw more tourists to Sabah for its diverse seafood.

He said the rabbitfish was not popular among domestic visitors, especially those from the peninsula, and some called it the “trash-eating fish”.

“But now, we see that with proper culture, we not only managed to produce fish fry in our own hatchery, but also changed the perception and showed that the rabbitfish could be a delicious meal, ” Wong said.

Apart from the rabbitfish, Bayu Aquaculture also saw the successful growth of the Echo grouper, which is a crossbreed between hybrid grouper and giant grouper.

The Echo grouper is also a new species of fish that was listed in the Malaysia Book of Records in May 2019.

Wong said these new species could become part of Sabah branding, just like the highly valued Empurau fish in Sarawak.

“In Sarawak they have the Empurau (a type of fruit-eating fish found specifically in an area in Sarawak) and maybe for Sabah we can brand our own fish with this new grouper species or rabbitfish, ” he said.

He said this proved that Sabah was able to produce high-quality food which is sustainable.

Wong said for now, the streaked spinefoot rabbitfish and Echo grouper were sold at the Alu-Alu Restaurant in Kolombong.