Sunday, April 26, 2015

Another conflict of marine life: which one is more important? conservation of corals for fisheries products and economy of poor local fishermen or harvesting corals for greedy businessman and rich people of developed countries.

http://bernama.com/bernama/v8/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1128794

Malaysia Has Potential To Be Major Coral Reef Exporter

KUALA TERENGGANU, April 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has the potential to be a major exporter of coral reef with its 3,600 km, or 1.27 per cent, of the world's coral reef's location representing more than 540 species of hard corals.

Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said coral reef exports from Malaysia were still small coming from Sabah and Sarawak while Indonesia controlled 90 per cent of the world coral reef exports, followed by Philippines and Vietnam.

"The Department of Fisheries Malaysia has conducted market research and we found that there is high interest abroad for Malaysian coral reef.

"As a result, 70 companies from Europe, US, Russia, Japan and China are interested to get decorative products made from Malaysian coral, while exports quota has also been approved to conduct business transactions at international level," he said.

Ismail said this after the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the development for the propagation of coral in Pulau Bidong project by Terengganu, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Malaysia Terengganu University, and Yayasan Coral Malaysia here Thursday.

Also present was Terengganu Menteri Besar, Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

Ismail said his ministry has allocated RM2.7 million to ensure the success of the project.

Ahmad Razif said the state government would conduct specified research before opening more space for agro tourism sector in Pulau Bidong after this.

-- BERNAMA

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