32 hybrid grouper breeders suffer losses of over RM1 million due to floods

PASIR PUTEH: Thirty-two hybrid grouper farmers in Laguna Semerak here suffered loses of more than RM1 million when their fish species died over the last four days due to flood waters overflowing into the lagoon.

Ikan Laguna Semerak Breeders Association chairman Mustapa Bakar said the incident was believed to have occurred when rainwater overflowed excessively into the lagoon area.

He said Laguna Semerak has 2,100 fish cages."Thousands of farmed hybrid groupers have been dying every day over the past four days. Hybrid groupers farmed for the Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Singapore markets can be sold at RM60 per kilogramme," he told reporters here today.

Mustapa added that fish that was breeding in the area was supposed to be marketed next February in conjunction with the Chinese New Year.Meanwhile, a young breeder, Wan Ahmad Taufik Wan Shukri, 24, said he had suffered loses of more than RM200,000 when a large number of the 18,000 odd fish that was breeding in his cages died.

"Now there are only about 4,000 to 5,000 of the fish species left," he said.

-- BERNAMA