BIOMARINE Sdn Bhd, a joint venture (JV) between Bruneian and Chinese companies, will establish a halal fish-processing facility in the Sultanate once the newly-formed company has settled in and operations are running smoothly, it was announced yesterday.
The facility, along with other plans to introduce a fish hatchery and nursery, cold storage room and blast freezers, requires the joint-venture to inject a further $6 million to its initial investment of $1.45 million into the “fish cage culture project” located near the Pelong Rocks offshore from Muara Town.
“Once the JV company has fully established its deep-sea aquaculture venture, a halal fish-processing plant will be established to process fish that is available in Brunei and surrounding regions for export to the Middle East and other Muslim countries,” a statement from BioMarine issued yesterday said. The Chinese company that partly owns BioMarine is Raoping Jin Hang Deep Sea Cage Development Co Ltd.
A coordinator for BioMarine, who asked not to be named, said that among the reasons the Chinese company chose to invest in Brunei was the Sultanate’s reputation and recognition as a halal hub.
“Brunei is one of the most trusted halal (producing countries) in the region. This is one of the main reasons why the Chinese investors came here,” he said.
He said it was difficult for Chinese halal products to penetrate the Middle East market, and thus the Chinese investors hoped to capitalise on Brunei’s strict halal control procedures and guidelines.
Other incentives included Brunei’s status as a political and economically stable country with low crime and a multi-racial population, according to the statement. The Sultanate also has a good communications network, low fuel costs and investment-friendly conditions, it said.
An additional benefit is that BioMarine’s planned nursery and hatchery is hoped to produce quality fish fries and fingerlings that can be sold to local aquaculture farmers so they would not have to import them from neighbouring countries.
Fisheries Director Hjh Hasnah Ibrahim told The Brunei Times yesterday that the Brunei government would assist BioMarine in acquiring Brunei Halal certification, given that the company complies with the Sultanate’s regulations when their processing plant becomes operational.
Hjh Hasnah acknowledged it was in Brunei’s interest for BioMarine to successfully penetrate these target markets as it would further strengthen Brunei’s reputation in the global halal sector.
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