JELEBU, The catfish farm run by inmates from the Jelebu Drug Rehabilitation Centre is a remarkable achievement as it is the first fish farm in the Malaysian Prisons Department to receive the MyGAP certification, which certifies compliance with good aquaculture practices set by the Department of Fisheries (DOF).
Prisons Commissioner-General Datuk Nordin Muhamad said the fish farm is equipped with treatment ponds, reservoirs, storage facilities, quarantine areas and fish sorting facilities.
He said catfish production at this facility amounted to 30.35 tonnes worth RM212,450 for the period from January to May this year, which was supplied to inmates from Jelebu Prison, Kajang Prison, Sungai Buloh Prison, Puncak Alam Prison, Kajang Women’s Prison, Seremban Prison and Bentong Prison.
Catfish plays an important role in prison meals on the peninsula, and this facility ensures a regular supply, with inmates enjoying catfish dishes at least twice a week, he told reporters after presenting the MyGAP certificate and Extruder M-Spex machine to the centre today.
Nordin said the catfish farm, which has been in operation since 2012, is of good quality, safe, halal and has the potential to be commercialised for use by other communities.
He said efforts to involve inmates in fish farming can help them acquire skills they can use after their release from prison.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Department director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain hopes the fish farm can maintain its certification and become an example for other aquaculture farms in the prison authority.
He said officials from DOF and Jelebu District Fisheries Office regularly visit the fish farm to provide continuous technical advice on farming methods and MyGAP registration and certification.
He said the DOF has provided 237,000 free fish seeds of various species such as ikan keli, tilapia, jelawat and kelah and supplied them to Jelebu Prison in 2021 and 2022, as well as equipment and livestock support to ensure the operation of the breeding pond in accordance with Good Aquaculture Practices.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency