Pandemik COVID-19 mendatangkan kesan langsung kepada jaminan keselamatan makanan di Malaysia menerusi pelbagai cara. Kajian ini dilaksanakan bertujuan untuk menganalisa sejauh manakah implikasi pandemik COVID-19 terhadap keselamatan bekalan makanan dari beberapa aspek utama iaitu gangguan dalam rantai bekalan global dan domestik, peningkatan beban fiskal dan hutang negara, serta penggunaan teknologi dan kepakaran. Kajian dilaksanakan menggunakan data sekunder daripada laporan berautoriti, dokumen kerajaan, surat khabar, webinar, serta data primer daripada perbincangan kumpulan berfokus serta temubual bersama pemain industri dan ahli pakar akademik. Dapatan kajian mendapati pandemik COVID-19 mengesani jaminan keselamatan makanan akibat daripada kenaikan harga mendadak dan gangguan bekalan input pertanian, kenaikan harga komoditi terpilih serta kekurangan atau lambakan bekalan makanan asas di pasaran. Hikmah di sebalik pandemik ini adalah semakin ramai menceburi bidang pertanian, penggunaan teknologi dan digitalisasi yang lebih meluas serta keutamaan perbelanjaan kerajaan untuk meningkatkan produktiviti pertanian tempatan.
With increasing global demand for seaweed and derivative products including carrageenan, Malaysia has identified seaweed cultivation as a key sector in its Tenth Malaysian Plan, with the aim of increasing seaweed production and bringing economic benefits to coastal communities. After several years of growth however, since 2013 seaweed production has declined. Malaysia’s research and development has developed a strong understanding of the biological and macroeconomic aspects of seaweed cultivation, but research has focused less on socio-economic aspects of the carrageenan value chain, including its labour force. Previous studies have provided insights into the contribution of migrants to seaweed production in Malaysia. To further understand the constraints faced by seaweed farmers’ and examine why seaweed production is currently declining, this study uses an intersectional lens to document farmers’ experiences based on their citizenship status and the impacts their status has on seaweed production. It relies on a mixed-methods analysis of key informant interviews, questionnaire surveys and document analysis, as well as on the conceptual framework of VCA-New Institutional Environment-Structure (NIES). Findings suggest that migrants have a significant role in upstream activities, contributing substantially to seaweed cultivation, yet, they face a number of legal, financial and institutional constraints that restrict their productivity and participation in marketing activities. To recognise and support migrant seaweed farmers would not only improve the accuracy of official statistics, it would also support policymakers to strengthen the seaweed industry through adequate regulations and tailored incentives.
WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidiesSustainably managed wild fisheries sup-port food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and cultures (1).Harmful fisheries subsidies-government payments that incentivize overcapacity and lead to over-fishing-undermine these benefits yet are increasing globally (2).World Trade Organization (WTO) members have a unique opportunity at their ministerial meeting in November to reach an agreement that eliminates harmful subsidies (3).We-a group of scientists spanning 46 countries and 6 continents-urge the WTO to make this commitment.To curb overfishing, biodiversity degradation and loss, and CO2 emissions, and to safeguard food and livelihoods, WTO members must prohibit fisheries subsidies that cause harm, such as those that lower the cost of fuel and vessel construction and those that provide price support to keep market prices artificially high (2).Subsidies to distant-water fishing fleets must be eliminated to prevent overfishing on the high seas and in waters under national jurisdiction.Such subsidies threaten low-income countries that rely on fish for food sovereignty (4, 5).Exceptions to the rulesknown as special and differential treatment-should be considered for small-scale fishers that use low-impact gears or that fish for subsistence, but only if decoupled from incentivizing overfishing ( 6).An effective agreement must eliminate subsidies for fuel (7), distant-water and destructive fishing fleets (4, 5), and illegal and unregulated vessels in line with the aims of Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 (8).To ensure accountability, it should also support low-income countries' efforts to meet their commitments and transition to sustainable management.Finally, the agreement should require transparent data documentation and enforcement measures (9).We call on the heads of state of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement-who have already committed to eliminating harmful subsidies (10-12)-as well as other trade blocs and individual countries, to declare their support now for an agreement that enshrines these recommendations.WTO members must harness their politi-cal mandate to protect the health of the ocean and the well-being of society.
Seaweed foreign object detection has become crucial for food consumption and industrial use. This process not only can prevent potential health issues, but also maintain the overall marketability of seaweed production in the food industry. Traditional methods of inspecting seaweed foreign objects heavily rely on human judgment, which deals with large volumes with diverse impurities and can be inconsistent and inefficient. An automation system for real-time seaweed foreign object detection in the inspection process should be adopted. However, automated seaweed foreign object detection has several challenges due to its dependency on visual input inspection, such as an uneven surface and undistinguishable impurities. In fact, limited access to advanced technologies and high-cost equipment would also influence visual input acquisition, thereby hindering the advancement of seaweed foreign object detection in this field. Therefore, we introduce a computer vision model utilizing a deep learning-based algorithm to detect seaweed impurities and classify the samples into ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ categories. In this study, we managed to identify six types of seaweed impurities including sand sticks, shells, discolored seaweed, grass, worm shells, and mixed impurities. We collected 1204 images and our model’s performance was thoroughly evaluated based on comparisons with three pre-trained models, i.e., Yolov8, ResNet, and MobileNet. Our experiment shows that Yolov8 outperforms the other two models with an accuracy of 98.86%. This study also included the development of an Android application to validate the deep learning engine to ensure its optimal performance. Based on our experiments, the mobile application managed to classify 50 pieces of seaweed samples within 0.2 s each, showcasing its potential use in large-scale production lines and factories. This research demonstrates the impact of Artificial Intelligence on food safety by offering a scalable and efficient solution that can be deployed in other food production processes facing similar challenges. Our approach paves the way for broader industry adoption and advancements in automated foreign object detection systems by optimizing detection accuracy and speed.
Abstract The inherent source of gelatin used for commercial hard capsules causes a surging demand for vegetarian capsules. In this work, carrageenan is utilized in preparing hard capsules to meet consumer preferences. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was incorporated as a reinforcing agent to improve the low mechanical properties of hard capsules made of carrageenan. The HPMC concentration was manipulated from 0.2 to 1.0 w/v% in the carrageenan matrix. The increasing concentration of HPMC exerts significant effects on the tensile strength and elongation at break, with an improvement of 59.1% and 46.9%, respectively, at the optimized HPMC concentration of 0.8 w/v%. The loop strength of the capsule is also increased by 56.4% with decreasing moisture content. The downfield movement from around 3.20 ppm of the carrageenan proton to 3.33 ppm in the proton nuclear magnetic resonanance ( 1 H‐NMR) spectrum suggests the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between carrageenan and HPMC, which correlates to the results of Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential. The glass transition temperature of the film was increased from 37.8 to 65.3°C, showing an upgrade in thermal stability. The film possesses a major mass loss with an activation energy of 64.7 kJ/mol with an increment of 43.4% compared to the control carrageenan. These findings support the conclusion that HPMC enhanced the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the carrageenan film, and the comprehensive analysis of the molecular interaction and decomposition kinetics subsequently may expand the application fields of the carrageenan‐HPMC hard capsule as an alternative to gelatin in the future.
Abstract This research article presents a systematic literature review on the current state‐of‐the‐art artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies used in aquaculture applications. As the demand for seafood continues to grow, the aquaculture industry faces numerous challenges, including disease management, feeding optimization, water quality monitoring, and extraction of aquaculture area. To address these challenges effectively and sustainably, AI techniques have been increasingly applied in aquaculture systems over recent years. This review aims to analyze various AI methodologies utilized within different aspects of aquacultural practices. By examining existing studies and identifying trends and gaps in research areas related to AI integration into aquaculture practices, this paper provides valuable insights for further advancements. The purpose was to synthesize current knowledge on application and its challenges in implementing AI technologies within the commercial aquaculture industry. Specifically, the review is to identify and analyze peer‐reviewed studies reporting on applications of AI technologies in aquaculture industry, to classify and summarize the key findings from the selected studies in aquaculture operations through AI, and to evaluate and discuss any challenges reported regarding the implementation and adoption of AI solutions in commercial aquaculture. The overall goal was to comprehensively assess these via a systematic literature review process. Challenges of AI technologies and methods were identified in the research literature for applying AI to optimize commercial aquaculture practices and production. An exhaustive search of a scholarly database from Scopus, was performed and papers published in English between 2020 and 2024 were considered for inclusion. After a rigorous screening process involving over 116 studies, 57 highly relevant works were identified and analyzed according to key themes involving demonstrated AI applications, employed methodologies and challenges that are expected when applying such methods. The findings revealed that AI‐driven tools such as computer vision, machine learning, and predictive modeling hold much potential for enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and productivity within aquaculture operations through applications like disease monitoring, environmental management, and production optimization. However, the review also uncovered substantial challenges that will continue limiting widespread adoption, including restricted access to representative data, prohibitive expenses, technical complexities, lack of social acceptance, and data privacy and security concerns. This comprehensive synthesis of the current evidence available provides an empirical foundation upon which further progress can be built by identifying priority areas requiring additional research efforts to fully address challenges on the responsible integration of suitable solutions for the commercial aquaculture industry globally.
Abstract The application of biosecurity in seaweed aquaculture plays an important role in reducing the impact of disease and pest outbreaks. The continuous occurrence of seaweed pests including the macroalgal epiphytes, epi-endophytic filamentous algae and biofilms on Kappaphycus farms may also potentially induce further incidences of the ice-ice syndrome. In this study, on-farm biosecurity management measures were tested on the commercially grown seaweeds Kappaphycus malesianus and Kappaphycus alvarezii during peak ice-ice season at Gallam-Gallam Village, Sabah, Malaysia. The investigation was focused on preventative control measures including the early detection of the ice-ice syndrome and pests through propagule health checks, regular cleaning of the crop thallus and associated long-line ropes and monitoring of the environment. Farm procedures and practices were also assessed in terms of their biosecurity ‘risk’ using the hazard analysis and critical control point (HCCAP) approach. Observations were replicated in two different farm management systems; one system adopted routine biosecurity measures and the other had no biosecurity measures. The results showed that the ice-ice syndrome and pest outbreak was significantly decreased by 60–75% for K. malesianus and 29–71% for K. alvarezii at the farm which adopted the routine biosecurity measures compared with the no biosecurity treatment. The biosecurity measures also significantly improved growth rate and seaweed quality. The infection levels of the epi-endophyte Melanothamnus sp. contributed to the ice-ice syndrome in K. malesianus , whilst the epiphyte coverage was correlated to the ice-ice incidence in K. alvarezii . This study provides the first evidence of biosecurity management measures significantly decreasing the incidence of the ice-ice syndrome and pests on a commercial seaweed farm.
Aquaculture is an essential sector in Malaysian fisheries and plays a significant role in the national economy. Organic pollution, opportunistic microorganisms in aquaculture farms, and international contamination of feed by mycotoxigenic fungi are serious issues. Lactic acid bacteria are a biological method for maintaining and restoring the normal physiological state and increasing productivity. However, research into the effects of inoculated seaweed silage with lactic acid bacteria inoculants is limited and has been conducted under various experimental conditions. The aim of this review is the potential of using lactic acid bacteria as an inoculant for seaweed silage for the development of sustainable aquaculture. According to the microbiological point of view, the results in this area are weak, and limited information is available. Due to its high nutritional content, seaweed silage is a promising feed ingredient and is gaining popularity as an alternative feed. Seaweeds contain valuable metabolites such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, phlorotannins, carrageenan, alginate pigments, agar, and minerals (manganese, iodine, calcium, iron, selenium, sodium, zinc) are natural antibiotic source in aquaculture feed. In conclusion, increasing the use of effective lactic acid bacteria as an inoculant in aquaculture feed can make the aquacultural sector more productive, safer, and friendly to human and environment then contributing to the long-term development of aquaculture.
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