The highly profitable aquaculture industry not only nets in millions of ringgit, it also creates employment and business opportunities for Penang’s population.
Malaysia is among the world’s top fish-consuming countries, putting away 56.9kg per year per person.1 Fish contribute about 44% of the total animal-sourced protein intake of the population, and more so where resource-poor consumers are concerned (Figure 1). On average, Malaysian households spend about 21.8% of their food expenditure on fish. That percentage is even higher among the rural community (23.3%) and the Bottom 40% (22.5%).2
As fishery resources in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia are claimed to be overexploited, aquaculture or fish farming as an alternative source has been responsible for the impressive growth in fish supply for human consumption. This is expected to increase with population growth, rising income and adaptive changes in consumption patterns.
The increasing role of aquaculture also supports commercial and recreational fisheries, restores habitat and at-risk species, and encourages economic activity in coastal communities by providing employment, business and investment opportunities in the country.
