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KUCHING,
April 4 (Bernama)
The Federal Government is prepared to develop the
aquaculture industry in Santubong, a popular fishermen
settlement and holiday resort in Sarawak, if it has
growth potential and the venture proves viable.
Rural
Development Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Datin
Paduka Rohani Karim said if the pioneer cage fish
rearing project costing RM80,000, which was started in
Santubong this year succeeded, follow-up discussions
would be held with the Agriculture Ministry to
increase the number of participants.
"The project was started with five participants... I'm
prepared to discuss with the Agriculture Ministry if
it succeeded," she said when speaking at a function to
release fish fries for a cage fish rearing project in
Santubong, Friday.
She said the success of a similar project in Merbok,
Kedah, which had been developed into a tourist
attraction, would be made the role model.
"In Merbok, apart from becoming a centre for cage fish
rearing, entrepreneurs there also built accommodation
facilities under the homestay concept," said Rohani,
who is also Member of Parliament for Santubong.
She said Santubong, which has the infrastructures and
tourism facilities, would facilitate cage fish
breeders to venture into the tourism sector, taking
the cue from their counterparts in Merbok.
Rohani assured them that she would provide the
assistance needed to further develop the aquaculture
industry in Santubong.
She said Sarawak had vast potential in the aquaculture
industry but had not been fully exploited.
On economic growth activities in rural areas, Rohani
said the Federal Government was identifying various
sources of economic activities for each area.
She said the Rural Development Ministry would not
focus on developing only one source of economic
activity in a particular area as this would delay
efforts to improve the people's standard of living.
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