28 September 2009 collect live fish targeted for the lucrative marine fish markets of Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Korea. Ornamentals Ornamental fishes and plant production contributed 558 million pieces valued at RM825 million in 2007 (DOF 2009). Malaysia is one of the top five producers of ornamental fishes in the world. The state of Johor (nearest to Singapore) is the main producer contributing 65 percent of total local production. Cyprinids (goldfish, koi, barbs, danios) and poecilids (guppies, mollies, platies) constitute the major group (21 and 23 percent) of ornamental fish produced in Malaysia (Figure 4). The state of Penang is globally known as one of the largest centers for the mass-culture of various domesticated strains of discus, Symphysodon aequifasciata, an exotic species originally from South American rivers. Malaysia is also the largest producer of farmed Arowana, Scleropages formosus, with the Malaysian Golden Arowana being the most expensive indigenous ornamental fish. Increasing Aquaculture Production The Malaysian government has a target to produce 600,000 t of seafood from aquaculture by 2010 under the Third National Agricultural Policy (NAP3 1998-2010, MOA 1999). NAP3 is a guideline formulated by the Malaysian government for the development of the agriculture sector which includes the fisheries sector. It emphasizes development of a fully modern and commercialized capture fishery and aquaculture industry through exploitation of available resources on a sustainable basis. NAP3 promotes commercial aquaculture that will be adequately supported with modern fisheries infrastructure and comprehensive human resource development programs. To achieve the targets of NAP3, the local aquaculture industry would require an annual growth rate of more than 30 percent, which is extremely ambitious. Table 1 shows the targeted increase in aquaculture production under the NAP3 plan. Based on the production levels as reported by industry sources and the Department of Fisheries in 2006-07, and the targeted production in 2010, it can be clearly seen that all sectors of the aquaculture industry still have some way to go before meeting the target. Total aquaculture production from all aquaculture systems in Malaysia in 2007 was estimated to be 268,500 t (DOF 2007) which is slightly less than 50 percent of the targeted increase to 580,000 t of farmed aquatic animals (excluding seaweeds). Achieving the NAP3 target aquaculture production figures will put Malaysia closer to being on par with her neighbors as a major aquaculture producing country in the region. Malaysia is currently ranked around 20th in the world compared to Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, which are consistently ranked among the top five countries for total aquaculture production. In 2004, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand produced 1.5, 1.2 and 1.1 million t of farmed seafood (FAO 2006b), respectively, compared to Malaysia’s less than 200,000 tons (DOF 2006). To jump start the NAP3 targets for the aquaculture industry, the Malaysian government through the Department of Fisheries and other related Fig. 3. Marine and brackishwater species cultured in Malaysia in 2007 (DOF 2009). (DOF, 2009) accounting for 10 percent of total marine and brackishwater species production in Malaysia (Figure 3). Most marine fish are cultured in floating net cages near the coastal areas and cage farming constitute about 88 percent of total production. According to Orachunwong et al. (2006), data from the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF 2005) on total marine fish production may be an underestimate as total production is likely to be closer to 25,000 t from an estimated 68,403 cages in 2004. The number of marine cages in Malaysia was about 82,800 in 2007 (DOF 2007). The major cage culture sites are in the sheltered west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Kukup, Pulau Ketam, Sungai Merbok and Sungai Udang. . The majority of cage culture operations are family-owned businesses. The main species cultured are the Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, 37 percent), various types of snappers (Lutjanus spp., 34 percent) and groupers (Epinephelus spp., 29 percent). Nineteen species of marine fish are cultured nationwide (Khoo and Merican, 2009). Vessels frequent these culture sites to Fig. 4. Ornamental species cultured in Malaysia in 2007 (DOF 2009).
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