Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is seeing a tremendous decline in seaweed farming entrepreneurs due to the global economic downturn.
According to Semporna Fishermen Association Chairman Salleh Abdul Salleh, there were previously 600 families involved in seaweed cultivation with a production of between 600 and 800 tonnes per month.
“Now, there are less than 100 families and they can only produce about 200 tonnes of seaweed per month. Seaweed farmers who left the industry have ventured into other areas such as agriculture, fishing and construction.
“Those who persevered are just waiting for turtle problems (attacks) to end. They depend on other sources of income from fisheries to survive and buy necessities,” he told the New Straits Times.
The current Covid-19 pandemic saw the seaweed industry slowing down as a result of uncertainty in market prices, added Salleh.
Apart from a 50 per cent drop in prices, seaweed buyer factories are facing tough times in exporting to other countries.
In the past, local seaweed farmers exported their produce to China, Germany and the Philippines.
It was a lucrative business, said Salleh.
However, the declining industry saw 95 per cent of seaweed entrepreneurs in Sabah losing their income.
A majority of seaweed farmers are from Semporna, while others are from Tawau and Lahad Datu.
“Farmers are now facing turtle attacks, too. Turtles are destroying fishermen’s seaweed crops because it is one of their food sources.
“As a result of these (attacks), seaweed gets damaged and fall to the seabed.
“Seaweed also gets damaged due to diseases such as moss and ‘ais-ais’ (stem rot) as well as other factors such as the weather.”
Salleh said Malaysia was still far behind in development in the seaweed industry as it relies on conventional manpower methods instead of technology.
“We see countries such as Indonesia, Taiwan, and Germany using high technology to harvest seaweed but in Malaysia, we are still depending on government allocations to provide us with platforms, ropes and boats.
“The Government must conduct proper research and development with the cooperation of seaweed experts as well as local and foreign universities on cultivating systems and industry direction,” he said.
While noting the Government should continue providing necessary allocations, he added that Sirim Bhd should also design machines for cultivating, monitoring, harvesting and drying seaweed to speed up the production process.
With this, Salleh also suggested the Government to establish a board for the seaweed industry.
He expressed optimism that the industry could be rescued and intensified, and noted that the Government should participate in the world seaweed organisation and find a reasonable seaweed market price according to the global market.
“All government plans to develop the seaweed industry must involve seaweed entrepreneurs.
The 2021-2030 Seaweed Blueprint proposed by the Malaysian Fisheries Department and seaweed players must be implemented,” said Salleh.
He also urged Sabah Parks and the World Wildlife Fund to avoid releasing turtles near seaweed cultivation areas in order to prevent them from damaging these marine plants.
