WEDNESDAY, 2 MARCH – Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Kinki Universiti, Japan signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the establishment of a UMS-Kinki Aquaculture Development Centre located at the Borneo Marine Research Institute (IPMB), UMS.
The MoA was signed at the IPMB Hatchery, UMS witnessed by the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Datuk Nik Ali Mat Yunus.
According to Datuk Nik Ali, the establishment of this centre will strengthen the research and development (R&D) between the two universities that had a longstanding relationship in the field of aquaculture and very important towards the improvement of domestic economic activity at regional and international level as it was related to food sources and high quality protein.
“To ensure the sustainability of industrial development, aquaculture scientists and industry players should work together to produce strategic direction not only in R&D but also every the field of marketing and supply chain management,” he said.
He added that the strategic collaboration in R&D between UMS and Kinki in aquaculture and its related industry would provide a strong foundation for the development of the aquaculture industry in the future.
The importance of the aquaculture industry is related to the retention of food sources as reported in the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO UN), which recorded a total of 183 million tonnes produced in 2015 compared to 133 million tonnes in 2000.
World Bank also reported that come 2030, 62% of seafood or fish eaten would be met through farming to meet with the demands.
After the MoA was signed, the centre would conduct research to produce fish seedlings, improve the quality of Napoleon Wrasse fish, grouper, catfish and eel farming.
Datuk Nik Ali also visited the hatchery that stocks fish as brood stock for fish seeds production.
He also witnessed UMS researchers in demonstrating the process of inducing and fish seedling.
Also present at the ceremony were Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Mohd. Harun Abdullah; President of Kinki University, Professor Dr. Hitoshi Shiozaki; Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation UMS, Professor Dr. Shahril Yusof; UMS Registrar, No’man Datuk Hj Ahmad; Kinki University Registrar, Hiroyasu Tsuji and IPMB Director, Professor Dr. Rossita Shapawi. - (fl)
