Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin was glad that the Borneo Marine Research Institute has shown interest to work with the fish farming community, reports the DailyExpress.
"It reflects a sincere effort towards bringing the stakeholders of aquaculture to discuss ways and means of inculcating the societal benefits in the coastal community of Sabah.
"This sort of structured platform among the aquaculture scientists and the fish farming community is required to establish cooperation among the generators and the users of knowledge," he said at the opening of the World Oceans Day and Coral Triangle Day 2015.
The Minister said aquaculture was an area where immense possibilities of convergence of scientists and farmers existed for achieving the common objectives that include sustainability of farming systems and production efficiency.
"While farmers rely on experience, scientists generate new knowledge through access to technology and resources available to them. I believe this kind of arrangement will help connect aquaculture scientists with the type of research that fish farmers can use to boost their productivity and competitiveness while reducing the risk factors," he said.
"As the UMS and the national centre of excellence, the Borneo Marine Research Institute must have a considerable investment in research and innovation to further extend the frontiers of the aquaculture knowledge with problem-solving outcomes.
"If that knowledge can be applied to produce a marketable products of the aquaculture, it will make a difference to the socio-economic condition of the indigenous communities.
"In this context, I support the partnership between the scientists, the fish farming community and the entrepreneurs for the good of all. Together with the Borneo Marine Research Institute assistance, I believed the aquaculture programme have the elements that will qualify it for the 'Enterprise Aquaculture' and the 'Aquaculture Incubator' status that can give a significant gains to the society," he said.
