The Borneo Marine Research Institute (IPMB) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has been officially recognized as a Higher Education Centre of Excellence (HiCoE) for its expertise in producing high-value marine fish fry.

According to IPMB Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ching Fui Fui, the institute received this recognition from the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), along with a HiCoE grant of RM6.75 million.

She noted that IPMB is the first HiCoE in Borneo, focusing its research on seafood security, specifically in the production of high-value fish fry such as grouper and coral trout.

“IPMB has made history in the grouper aquaculture industry by successfully producing hybrid groupers with a fast growth rate of just seven months compared to three years for regular groupers.

“This rapid growth is crucial to meet the market demand for seafood not only in Malaysia but also across Asia.

“In addition to grouper, IPMB is actively conducting research on coral trout, covering various aspects such as genetics, breeding, nutrition, health, and system management. So far, we have identified the gender and maturity stages of coral trout broodstock and successfully obtained high-quality fertilizable eggs,” she explained.

She shared this after a visit from the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd. Kadir, to the IPMB Hatchery during his first official working visit to UMS recently.

The visit was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud; Director-General of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Azlinda Azman; and UMS Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Kasim Hj. Mansor.

According to Prof. Kasim, UMS’s hybrid grouper research has created an economic value of USD630 million, as documented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2015, with its value continuing to grow.

“I am confident that similar success can be achieved with other high-value fish, especially coral trout, ensuring seafood security through the production of high-quality fry.

“This effort is expected to address the issue of depletion of high-value fish stocks, ensuring the sustainability of fisheries resources while driving economic growth through collaborations with aquaculture partners and industry players,” he stated.

During the visit, Prof. Kasim expressed gratitude to KPT for providing RM3 million in funding for the first year of the HiCoE IPMB program.

HiCoE IPMB will also collaborate with Kindai University, several other universities locally and internationally, and the Sabah State Government to drive the blue economy agenda, aligning with Sabah’s development plan as a national economic hub.