Blue Economy To Launch Sabah Into New Era Of Growth, Job Creation - Hajiji

By ROHANA NASRAH

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Sabah has entered a new phase in its marine-resource-based economic transformation through the Blue Economy initiative, which is expected to have a significant impact on the state’s economic growth, including the creation of more job opportunities.

Among other things, the Blue Economy involves the development of marine parks, a tuna fishing port, aquatic plant farming, and renewable technology through Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), which is capable of transforming the state’s economic landscape and positioning Sabah as a national leader in the field.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the Blue Economy is an initiative planned by the Sabah government aimed at exploring and harnessing the potential of the industry, which will ultimately benefit not only the state but also its people through the implementation of various projects.

“We have proposed the establishment of a Blue Economy Industrial Park in Kudat. At present, we have managed to kickstart the Blue Economy programme with one project that will be implemented -- the Sabah tuna port -- in Kota Kinabalu.

“An agreement has been signed between a public listed company and the government. In this initiative, the government does not provide funding, but we hold a 30 per cent share of equity in this Blue Economy project,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama recently.

Hajiji said the development of the port for the landing of tuna and other deep-sea marine products has been recognised by the European Union. It has the potential to generate economic value of up to RM1.8 billion annually, making it the first high-impact strategic investment in the Blue Economy sector, with an investment value reaching RM360 million.

He said the Blue Economy is not limited to the fisheries sector alone, but also involves various other industries with strong growth prospects, such as renewable energy.

Hajiji said that OTEC is actively being pursued by the Sabah government, and the initiative is expected to yield positive outcomes, especially in ensuring the well-being of the people of Sabah.

“We are also focusing on seaweed cultivation because it can be widely developed in Sabah. In Malaysia, roughly 90 per cent of suitable areas for seaweed cultivation are found in Sabah,” he said.

In addition to the Blue Economy, Hajiji said the Sabah government is also advancing the Blue Carbon initiative through the conservation of mangrove forests, noting that Sabah has the largest mangrove areas in Malaysia. This advantage opens opportunities for the state to participate in carbon trading.

The chief minister explained that the Sabah government has secured facilities from financial institutions to provide loan access for investors interested in contributing to the development of Sabah’s Blue Economy.

“This initiative is expected to deliver positive impacts and further strengthen Sabah’s economy in the future,” he said.

Hajiji emphasised that all development projects implemented under the Sabah Blue Economy will adhere to the regulations outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that the involvement of local communities is also crucial to ensuring the initiative’s success.

The chief minister said the Sabah Blue Economy will also be elevated to a national-level programme, with Sabah becoming the leading driver of the initiative in the future.

“I am confident that this Blue Economy initiative will boost Sabah’s economy,” he said.

In July this year, Hajiji announced that the state is capable of producing 491,000 tonnes of marine products annually, worth RM3.25 billion — such as fish and prawns — through the Sabah Blue Economy.

Marine product output is among 14 components of the Blue Economy that can be explored, including marine renewable energy, blue carbon, tourism, maritime transport, and marine biotechnology. 

-- BERNAMA