Kota Kinabalu: All fresh and live seafood from Sabah can no longer be exported, including to Sarawak and the peninsula, with immediate effect.Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin in making the announcement said the State Government had come to this decision after considering the effects of such exports to the State's tourism industry and on the people here."Right now, even myself cannot enjoy fresh seafood. All fresh seafood are sent out. So, from now on, we want to disallow export of fresh seafood," he said, after opening the premier gathering of the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry and its departments and agencies, Monday.
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Yahya who is also State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister said the move is expected to bring in more tourists to Sabah to enjoy the luxury of fresh seafood here."Even to Sarawak or Brunei, we will not allow. We are not saying that we are banning export.
But we will only allow exports of frozen seafood," he said.The announcement was immediately welcomed by Sabah Anglers Association President Datuk Wilfred Lingham who said it was a very timely and would boost the seafood industry in the State.
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"Tourists have always looked at Sabah as a seafood paradise. But because of the exporting industry, even the locals have been deprived of best quality seafood. Our products are feeding other people. Plus, it is most welcomed especially in view of the coming Chinese New Year," he said. He said quite a number of seafood restaurants were forced to close shop due to insufficient supply."Only a few days ago, I went on a fishing trip. When we came back, there was a group of people already waiting for us at the port. These were exporters mainly, and restaurateurs and hotel workers, waiting to get their hands on our catch.
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"Once we docked, they just grabbed whatever we had. They did not care what type of fish, as long as they are fresh. That was their only criteria. So because of this, only the low quality fish, the leftovers reach the locals. The basung mostly. Why should this happen?" he asked.Lingham also said in order to ensure the ban is fully enforced, permit to export fresh and live seafood must be revoked immediately and maritime enforcement agency must ensure that there will be no 'hijacking' of seafood by exporters who intercept fishing boats and buy all their catch before the fishing boats even reach the port.Although this is not rampant, he said, there is need to monitor the situation especially because the exporters would bypass the export tax, and now the total export ban, by loading the products on long liners waiting at international waters.Most of all, he said, this new direction will see the price of seafood products go down because of ample supply at the fish market."There is no justification anymore for fishmongers to jack up the price because we have plenty of supply. And Sabah will live up to its reputation as a seafood paradise, which is one of the reasons why people want to come here," he said.According to State Fisheries Department Director Datuk Rayner Stuel Galid, there are 20 companies exporting seafood products including fish, prawns, crabs, seaweed and others in various packaging including frozen, fresh and live seafood.Export of seafood from Sabah came up to 130,000 metric tonnes per year, an estimated worth of RM800million.
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Most of these products are exported to the peninsula while some are sent to countries such as China, the United States and countries in Europe.He said the department will be monitoring the impact of the ban on the industry and will work together with Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) as the federal agency is in charge of frozen and fresh seafood while the department is only responsible for live fish.