Dr Rossita Shapawi said the industry currently relied on trash fish, which is defined as fish with little or no commercial value, reports NSTOnline.
"Trash fish is not sustainable for the long term and so we have to use artificial feed, but we don't produce quality feed. The imported feed is also expensive," Rossita, who is with Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Borneo Marine Research Institute, told the news agency.
"I was keen to develop a feed that was not only profitable for aquaculture farmers but one which would also contribute to the environment.
"A quality locally-produced feed not only cuts costs but also lessens the pressure on wild fish stocks used for fish meal and fish oil production."
Her hard work has paid off.
Her study on "cost-effective feeds using a novel blend of ingredients for the culture of humpback grouper" resulted in two prototype dietary feeds, earned her a doctorate from UMS in August and netted a silver award at BioMalaysia 2008 in Kuala Lumpur last month.
Fish Feed Formula Uses Chicken and Vegetable Oils
MALAYSIA - A researcher has discovered a new fish feed formula, that might displace fish-based feeds, using a mixture of poultry by-products and vegetable oils