Tuna products with Malaysian identity

SERDANG: Malaysian entrepreneurs are now more creative that they have been able to produce tuna-based food products with Malaysian identity, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said today.
He named some of the products as satay, burger and nugget.
"Now, tuna is not only used to make 'singgang' and in 'nasi dagang'," he told reporters after unveiling the tuna innovation product by the Fisheries Department and Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on the third day of the Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen's Day (HPPNK) celebration at the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park Serdang (Maeps) here today.
As such, he urged operators involved in the country's fishing industry to fully utilise the Malaysian quota of 135 vessel for tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean.
So far, only 12 of the quota had been taken up, he said.
Ahmad Shabery said the quota of 135 vessel per year for tuna fishing was obtained by Malaysia, being it a member country of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) since 1998.
Malaysia currently exports 5,000 to 10,000 metric tonnes of tuna a year to Japan and the target is to export 30,000 metric tonne a year, he said. — Bernama