Cage fish farming has received overwhelming support from hoteliers, who source sustainably harvested fish directly from fish breeders in line with the government’s effort to protect dwindling supplies of fish.
In Penang, more hotels and restaurants have ceased buying from fishermen involved in trawling, poisoning and bombing to obtain their catch in a bid to protect the natural habitat.
The harmful effect from irresponsible and indiscriminate fishing techniques threaten to disrupt the ecosystem with serious consequences.
So, hoteliers decided to get their act together to minimise marine life degradation.
Some hotels even plan to rely solely on fish farm operators as supplies from fishmongers are phased out.
The popularity of fish farming is soaring, judging from numerous hotel link-ups to members of the Marine Farmers Association of Malaysia (MFFAM)
Fish farmers from Johor, Selangor and Penang banded together to establish MFFAM this year.
This development is significant as the three states account for about 80 per cent of local farmed fish production.
The move led to keen interest from the hotel industry to source sustainably harvested fish for their restaurants and food outlets.
Leading the pack are Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, as well as its sister hotel Golden Sands Resort in Batu Ferringhi.
The two resorts plan to increase their purchases from GST Fine Foods Sdn Bhd, a member of MFFAM, as well as from an established marine and fish farmer based in Simpang Ampat, Bukit Kawan, here.
Rasa Sayang director of communications Suleiman Tuanku Abdul Rahman said the resort aimed to set an exemplary example for others to emulate.
“We want to influence others to join us to protect marine life.
“This is because fish is fast becoming an endangered species in Malaysia.
“Our objective is to help prevent the sea habitat from being destroyed by destructive fishing techniques,” he said.
He was commenting on the matter during a press visit to GST’s fish farm, off Pulau Aman recently .
Suleiman said the hotel intended to gradually sever its ties from other fishmongers who sourced their supply by trawling and illegal fishing methods.
An abundant supply of caged sea bass, red snapper, garoupa and golden trevally are reared at the breeding farm.
Present at the fish farm visit were the resort’s executive sous chef John Brock and chef de cuisine David Pooley, who personally selected the catch for their gourmet cuisine.
It was the first time the duo learnt to scoop out the fish.
GST manager Goh Chin Twan said the company adhered to stringent criteria on fish farm maintenance and cleanliness guidelines set by the European Union (EU).
Goh said the company was the sole fish exporter in the northern region to be recognised by the EU.
In a related development, Rasa Sayang and Golden Sands were recently nominated for the Marine Fish Cage Culturists Programme by Coral Triangle Public-Private Partnerships.
The programme is a cooperative initiative involving practitioners of marine culture, local fishing communities and consumers in the quest to promote responsible fishing practices, fish cultivation and consumption of fish stocks
The nomination was in line with the resorts’ support for sustainable fish cultivation and consumption at the hotel level.
