Advertisement

World’s 1st commercially hatched lobster

TUARAN: A small high-tech facility here became the envy of many as it recorded the world’s first commercially hatched ornate spiny lobsters, or Panulirus ornatus.

The success of the Integrated Lobster Aquaculture Park (iLAP) Mini Commercial Hatchery marked a massive leap for the state in cutting-edge technology, taking Malaysia closer to the global market for lobsters, valued at US$4 billion (RM13.4 billion) annually.

Lobster Aqua Technologies Sdn Bhd (LAT) president and chief
executive officer Dr Shahridan Faiez said the breakthrough highlighted Malaysia as a country possessing a sustainable lobster production with experts in the industry.

He said only a handful of people in the world possessed the knowledge and technology to culture the 11 stages and metamorphosis, from larvae to juvenile lobster.

“No one has ever bred large
lobsters and the achievement
indicates that Sabah, with its
natural tropical environment, is now a landmark for its production.”

Shahridan said lobsters hatched at the facility would be transported to sea cages in Semporna where the Integrated Lobster Aquaculture Park was located, on a 10,000ha site in Pulau Timbun Mata.

The 15-year project, worth RM3 billion, is expected to generate 20,000 jobs by 2028.

“We are proud to have localised this technology.

“This is how technology and talent come together, becoming a powerful catalyst for transformation.

“Without the support of the state and federal governments, none of this would have been possible.”

The iLAP project is managed by LAT, a joint venture between Nanyang Nexus Sdn Bhd and Yayasan Sabah’s subsidiary, Inno Fisheries Sdn Bhd.

The park comprises three hatcheries, supporting infrastructures, processing plants, 9,300ha sea space for contract farmers and marketing entities.