The Malaysian Department of Fisheries (DoF) and WorldFish have signed an agreement to establish the Technical Committee on Research Collaboration.
It hopes to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture and fisheries in Malaysia. The agreement formalises the existing collaboration between DoF and WorldFish, which began when WorldFish established its headquarters in Penang, Malaysia, in 2000.
WorldFish’s director general, Nigel Preston, said: “The committee provides a practical platform for DoF and WorldFish to collaborate on a range of mutually beneficial research projects. It will greatly strengthen our existing partnership with DoF.”
The research committee will meet twice a year to discuss a broad range of issues in relation to the cooperation programmes as well as to deliberate and decide on new project proposals.
Committee members will be drawn from the DoF and WorldFish, and selection will be based on equality, transparency and mutual benefit. In the future, members may also include representatives from the Malaysian private sector and university researchers.
“This partnership will help DoF and WorldFish exchange constructive views, to further deepen and strengthen cooperation in aquaculture and fisheries in Malaysia,” concluded Datuk Haji Ismail bin Abu Hassan, director general of Fisheries Malaysia.
WorldFish collaborates with DoF at the Jitra Aquaculture Extension Center, in Kedah, Malaysia, to run research activities and to serve as a nucleus breeding center for Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT), the fast-growing strain of tilapia developed by WorldFish.
WorldFish is also helping DoF to increase aquaculture production of tilapia in Malaysia. Current tilapia production is 34,500 metric tonnes and by 2020 DoF aims to increase production to 60,000 metric tonnes.
