INVESTORS ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN SEA CAGE PROJECT

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), Sept 16 (Bernama) -- The Fisheries Department is wooing
local and foreign investors, including those from Taiwan, to carry out open-sea
cage fish-breeding projects in Langkawi and increase fish production in the
country.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Johari Baharum
said Langkawi had potential for open sea cage fish breeding as its waters were
clean and sheltered from the wind.

"We hope local and foreign investors such as Taiwan will take this
opportunity to carry out this lucrative project," he told reporters here
Wednesday.

Johari said the sea cage project in Pulau Singa Besar in Langkawi bred the
best fish species like the giant grouper, which is valued at over RM40 per
kilogramme.

He said the project involved 14,000 fishes, with each fish weighing an
average of 8kg, and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong had expressed their interest in
investing in the project.

"We will offer eight more sea cages in Pulau Singa Besar to keen investors,"
he said.

-- BERNAMA