KOTA KINABALU: The state government wants to see fishing developed as one of the niche sport tourism products capable of attracting more international tourists and anglers to Sabah.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the Sabah International Fishing Tournament (SIFT) has great potential to serve as a platform to promote Sabah as an international sport fishing destination.
Speaking at the SIFT 2026 Prize Presentation Ceremony at Sutera Marina, Sutera Harbour Resort, he said: “SIFT is not just a fishing competition. We want to use this platform to introduce Sabah as a Sport Tourism destination, particularly in fishing, to the world.
"Sabah has extensive coastlines, beautiful islands, rich marine biodiversity and waters highly suitable for fishing. These are assets we can leverage to develop a specialised tourism segment with its own market,” he said.
Jafry added that developing fishing as a tourism product could also generate economic spillovers for other sectors including hotels, food and beverage, transport, boat operators, fishing equipment retailers, and local communities.
Jafry stressed that developing fishing as sport tourism must go hand-in-hand with protecting and conserving Sabah’s marine resources.
He urged anglers to act as partners to the government by reporting suspicious activities, illegal fishing, or other practices that could harm marine resources and the environment.
“We want to develop sport tourism, but Sabah’s marine sustainability cannot be compromised. Responsible anglers can also be among the best ambassadors in protecting our marine treasures.”
He also congratulated the Sabah Anglers Association, especially its Secretary and SIFT 2026 organizing chairman Christy Justinus, the committee, sponsors, strategic partners, and all involved in making the event a success.
Jafry announced that SIFT 2027 will be held from July 29 to Aug 1, 2027 allowing international promotion to begin earlier.
“We want the next edition to be bigger, better organized, and more international in nature. Our goal is to see SIFT grow into one of the region’s premier fishing tournaments, while elevating Sabah as an international niche Sport Tourism destination for fishing.”
SIFT 2026 attracted 195 registered anglers with 21 boats, offering total cash prizes of RM47,800, along with trophies and souvenirs. This year’s event marked the return of SIFT after its last edition in 2018.
The Seahawk category was won by Edmond Asiin — with a 16.1kg catch, the Team Category was won by Team Target On with 50.3kg in total catch.
