Oyster farming potential in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

As the world population increases, demand for food is also on the rise. In Malaysia, especially in Sabah, demand for seafood continues to rise due to booming tourism and improved local living standards. As Malaysia is gradually moving toward aquaculture for food security, oyster farming is seen to have high potential to ensure food security and sustain the livelihood of coastal communities. In collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the “Income Generation through Oyster Farming” programme was introduced in Sabah. This programme is based on the low cost and simple technology required for oyster farming to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable income-generating activities that can be applied by local communities. Two locations within the Tuaran district were selected for this programme. Oyster farming has proven successful within the community. Hence, this programme not only addresses the issues of food security and environmental protection, but also fits ideally within the Blue Economy framework through the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and profit.