The ocean along Sabah’s west coast, once so familiar to him since childhood, is changing. Today, Sulaiman struggles to keep food on the table for his wife and their three children, aged eight, 13 and 15.

“In the past, cockles, crabs, fish – they were abundant. A single trip to sea guaranteed more than RM100. But now, the sea is different… even making RM100 is hard,” Sulaiman told Bernama.

Tuaran, located 34km north of Kota Kinabalu, is renowned for its rich marine resources. Yet in recent years, coastal fishermen’s incomes have been severely affected as catches continue to dwindle.

This situation forces B40 fishermen like Sulaiman to sail further offshore, posing greater challenges especially for those with limited fishing equipment.

The decline of marine resources is a global issue affecting fishing communities worldwide. Without sustainable approaches, seafood stocks will continue to shrink, leaving folks like Sulaiman sidelined and trapped in poverty.

Data from the fisheries department shows a consistent decline in national seafood landings, from 1.38 million metric tonnes in 2020 to 1.27 million tonnes in 2023.

In Sabah, landings have fluctuated: 206,703 metric tonnes in 2020, increasing to 216,319 (2021), peaking at 230,171 (2022), before falling again to 212,787 tonnes the following year.

Nevertheless, the state holds unmatched blue-economy potential, which is why its government has introduced initiatives to ensure marine resources remain sustainable, while providing lifelines to fishermen and local communities like Sulaiman.

One such initiative is the Sabah Cockle Farm Project, which not only introduces modern aquaculture methods but also creates new opportunities for traditional fishermen to venture into systematic and sustainable cockle farming – a win-win approach for local communities that safeguards marine resources for future generations.

Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia) chief executive Hashim Paijan explained that conventional overharvesting of wild cockles could push species like the blood cockle towards extinction, affecting supply and threatening fishermen’s livelihoods.

“So, we combine expertise to produce high-quality cockle seeds, then farm them without depending on wild stocks. This ensures cockles are cultivated sustainably and continuously,” he told Bernama.

The concept is not new in Malaysia: in 2020, the Lekir Cockle Farm in Perak produced 1,202 metric tonnes of cockle seeds, the highest recorded so far. Similar projects exist in Selangor, Penang, and Melaka.

Determined to replicate this success, Hashim brought the project to Sabah with pilot cockle farms in Tuaran and Beluran. As Borneo’s waters are home to unique marine life, importing seeds from successful farms elsewhere, such as Lekir, simply doesn’t work.

‘Gold on the seabed’

Fishermen and locals like Sulaiman, who fall within the B40 group and are registered under eKasih, are the primary target participants of the Sabah Cockle Farm project.

Participants are selected through relevant agencies and provided with specialised training in cockle-farming techniques and business management to ensure long-term commitment.

“We want participants not only to ensure sustainable cockle resources but also to be resilient and persistent. Once cockle seeds are sown in their lots, farmers must care for them as though they were gold lying on the seabed,” Hashim said.

He compared cockle-farming challenges to seaweed cultivation, which requires high physical endurance owing to exposure to harsh sun and unpredictable seas.

“This isn’t easy work. Like seaweed farming, it often means staying submerged in seawater, sometimes for so long that faces become unrecognisable from sun exposure.”

The advantage of cockle farming, however, is that cockles do not need additional feed. Farmers mainly guard against theft and monitor threats like red tide, which can affect production.

Sedia and its partners, including the fisheries department, have identified suitable farming areas with clean water and natural conditions that support cockle growth, ensuring optimal yields for participants.

Most cockles naturally thrive along shorelines. But because they feed by filtering water, they stop eating during low tide – a natural pause that slows their growth.

“That’s where technology makes the difference,” said Hadzley Harith, head of the mollusc unit at the fisheries department.

“In Selangor, for instance, it takes 16 months to two years for cockle seeds to grow from 4mm to 25mm. But we’ve identified sites with constant water flow and food availability, so cockles can feed continuously. This has reduced the farming and harvesting cycle from two years to just six months.”

The two technologies – induced spawning and cockle farm management – not only produce higher-quality and larger quantities of cockle seeds, but also help farmers manage their farms more effectively. The approach involves picking the right locations, ensuring a steady supply of natural food, and harnessing favourable sea currents.

The result? Cockles now reach the standard market size of 25mm in just six months, while premium-sized cockles of around 33mm can be harvested within 10 months.

Hadzley is confident Tuaran will emerge as one of Sabah’s main sustainable cockle-seed production hubs, alongside Beluran. Three other districts – Tawau, Beaufort, and Kota Marudu – also have potential for development.

“Notably, breeding is carried out in the field, not in laboratories. So far, Malaysia is the only country capable of large-scale induced cockle breeding in open-field conditions,” Hadzley added.

Beyond farming, the authorities plan to develop Sabah’s downstream cockle industry, covering processing and more efficient marketing.