KUCHING, June 20 2026: The Sarawak government is planning to make use of the areas surrounding Baleh Dam as natural habitat capable of supporting the production of empurau fish, thereby expanding the market for this premium fish species in the future.
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Premier Abang Johari Openg said the effort would be carried out through the planting of trees that produce a natural food source for empurau fish in the area surrounding the dam.
"In Kapit, we have the Baleh Dam. Along the river near Baleh, we want to plant trees that produce food for empurau.
"So we can create natural conditions for empurau and we can expand the market for empurau," he said,” he said at the official opening ceremony of Farley Garden Kuching today.
He stressed that thes effort is among the steps that can be implemented to make use of Sarawak's natural resources to generate higher economic value.
He added empurau, known as one of the most valuable freshwater fish in Sarawak, has great potential to be marketed to the premium segment, thereby contributing to the state's economic growth.
He also stressed that Sarawak is not only focusing on the development of the energy and infrastructure sectors, but is also continuing to strengthen its food security agenda as well as the production of local produce with high commercial value.
On infrastructure development, he said it is being carried out aggressively as a catalyst for progress in rural areas by opening up better access to facilities, markets, and economic opportunities for the people.
He said the implementation of road and bridge projects throughout the state has successfully connected rural areas with economic growth centres, thereby narrowing the development gap between urban and rural areas.
According to him, better infrastructure facilities not only ease the movement of residents but also increase the economic value of local produce through wider market access.
"When we develop rural areas, rural areas will become urban because the infrastructure is adequate and our way of life also changes," he said.
Abang Johari said over the past six years, the state government has completed more than 20 bridge projects throughout Sarawak as part of efforts to strengthen the state's connectivity network.
He said the construction of such infrastructure has had a direct impact on rural communities, as agricultural produce and local products can now be marketed more easily and fetch higher value.
He also cited examples of increases in the prices of local produce in several areas following the completion of bridge and road projects that eased access to markets, thereby increasing residents' incomes.
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