Pasir Puteh to become one of Kelantan’s top freshwater fish producers - Exco

PASIR PUTEH, Sept 7 -- The Kelantan government has released 50,000 to 70,000 fish fry annually for the past 10 years in efforts to turn the Pasir Puteh district into one of the biggest freshwater fish producers in the state in the next five years.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Biotechnology, Green Technology and Environment Committee chairman, Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail, said the fish fry that were released included catfish, tilapia, jelawat and toman galang.

He said fry released into the river in Kampung Tasek Pauh and Kampung Tok Ajam were monitored by the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA).

“Hundreds of farmers, including 30 inland fishermen living in the areas around Kampung Jelur, are currently benefiting, as they can catch from 30 to 100 kilogrammes (kg) of fish a day.

“Other than releasing fry for production purposes, the state government also contributed equipment,  including nets, fish traps and one-off cash assistance of RM200 to the inland fishermen, to ease their burden during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said when met by reporters here, today.

Tuan Mohd Saripudin, who is also Selising assemblyman, said the fish produced also had encouraging demand from several states, especially Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang.

“Some villagers have also made pickled fish which is in high demand during the monsoon season, between October and March,” he said.

He said the state government also planned to set up the ‘Mykomuniti Perikanan Darat’ in Kampung Tasek Pauh and Kampung Tok Ajam, to increase the number of participants in the district to 70, from the existing 35.

In the meantime, he said that the state government would allocate RM300,000 to develop freshwater fish farming statewide from next year, compared with RM150,000 a year currently.

-- BERNAMA