Tasty: Sufian (right) and Ahmad Hamzah trying freshwater fish dishes as Lotus’s executive director of corporate services Azliza Baizura Azmel (third from right) looks on at Lotus’s Ampang in Selangor. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
PETALING JAYA: There is sufficient fish to cater to the country’s needs, provided the people do not start hoarding, says the Fisheries Department.
Its director-general Mohd Sufian Sulaiman advised Malaysians not to succumb to panic buying as the combination of fish from the sea, rivers and ponds was enough to meet the country’s annual demand.
According to the department, each Malaysian consumes 42kg of fish a year.
“There are 32 million Malaysians, and each person consumes about 40kg a year, so according to our calculations, there is enough supply to meet national demand.
“If people do not resort to panic buying and hoard more fish than they usually consume, then we shouldn’t be having problems with supply,” he told reporters after the Selangor level “Jom Makan Ikan Air Tawar” (Eat Freshwater Fish) campaign at Lotus’s Ampang yesterday.
At another unrelated event, the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal said bureaucratic problems and a weakness in the delivery system had been identified as among the factors that have contributed to the shortage of fish supply in the country, resulting in increased prices.
On May 22, National Fishermen’s Association (Nekmat) chairman Abdul Hamid Bahari said the number of fish landings, especially in northern Peninsular Malaysia, had decreased by 70%, from more than a million tonnes to about 300,000 tonnes a month due to unpredictable weather over the past two months.
Sufian said there were many factors affecting the supply of marine fish such as manpower, weather and the technology used, but admitted that proper management is essential for a stable supply.
He added that there had been high demand for fish during the festive seasons, coupled with the economic recovery following the Covid-19 transition to endemicity.
“We can’t deny the price increase – there has been an uptick.
“I have also raised the issue (of the middlemen and their profit margins) with the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry. For example, freshly landed mackerel is priced at RM8 but can reach RM20 by the time it is sold at the market,” he said.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah, who opened the campaign, said the government aimed to increase freshwater fish production to achieve a better balance with the supply of marine fish.
“The supply of marine fish constantly fluctuates due to certain factors. When we face extreme weather conditions, the supply decreases.
“We aim to balance this by hitting 40% of freshwater fish production in the supply mix by 2030.
“We are confident we will be able to achieve this as the efforts of the Fisheries Department are in line with the national food policy,” he said.
