SRI AMAN: A private company, Borneo Eco Fish Sdn, is collaborating with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Agriculture Department in the cage culture of Udang Galah (giant river prawn) in the lake of the Batang Ai Hydro Electricity dam..

Yesterday, Agriculture Assistant Minister Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail visited the prawn farm to inspect the progress of this pioneer fresh water prawn cage culture project.

During the visit he released prawn fry supplied by the Inland fisheries station in Sematan into the farm nursery

The assistant minister also presented the MyGAP (Malaysia Good Agriculture Practice) certificate to Borneo Eco Fish Sdn. Bhd managing director Thomas Hii Tiong Kong.

To obtain the MyGAP certification a company must be fulfil the international requirements of clean, safe and healthy practice in the production of its produce.

Dr Abdul Rahman also visited a local cage fish farm at Teluk Telaus, Batang Ai Hydro Dam run by Law Kung Meng, who rears a variety of commercial freshwater fish species including red tilapia.

The farm which was established in 2017 has over 1,000 cages of fish at the moment and uses the ‘auto-feeder’ which cuts down the number of workers needed to run the operation.

Among those accompanying Dr Abdul Rahman during the visit were Batang Ai assemblyman Malcolm Mussen Lamoh and chief assistant director of Agriculture Dept Awang Alim Bin Awang Kassim.