BANKING ON FISHING TO PROMOTE TOURISM

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), April 6 (Bernama) -- Fishing can be used as an activity to promote tourism between Satun in Thailand and Langkawi in northern Kedah-state in Peninsular Malaysia, Satun deputy governor Chusak Maneechayangkoon said here.

He said the Langkawi-Adang-Satun International Fishing Challenge (Lasifc)
could help realise that objective.

"Lasifc can be the bridge to strengthen ties and cooperation in various
fields including tourism," he said at the conclusion of Lasifc 2009 here Sunday
night.

Statistics of the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) show that more than
60,000 Thai tourists visited Langkawi last year, being among the most number of
foreign tourists who travelled to the resort island.

At Lasifc 2009, Sharir Ismail, Azli Kamal, Asri Saaban, Basiron Saad,
Jamaluddin Hashim and Zaini Musa of Tourism Malaysia bagged the top prize in the
team category by landing 55.15 kg of catch.

Lada employee Ku Ishak Ku Aziz won the individual category with a 7.98-kg
catch.

Lasifc 2009, the third edition in the series, attracted 124 anglers
representing 23 teams from India, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Malaysia.

They landed more than 1,000 kg of catch in the effort to win the total
RM32,000 (US$1=RM3.55) prize money offered.

-- BERNAMA