State executive councillor Dr Afif Bahardin questioned the discrepancy in statistics on Penang’s fish farming industry produced by the federal government and Penang BN.

He said statements and statistics issued by Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Fisheries Department director-general Ismail Abu Hassan were different from those issued by state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow.

“Which one is right? Both claimed to be from the Fisheries Department,” said Afif in a press conference today.

For example, the ministry’s figures showed that Penang had 278 fish farms in 2005 producing 1.789 (metric ton).

Teng’s statistics showed that in 2005, Penang had 180 fish farms producing 1,931.92 (mt).

Afif has been overseeing the agriculture, agro-based industry, health and rural development committee since 2013.

On Monday, Teng accused Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for allegedly lying that the fish farming industry begun in 2008, after the opposition took over the state from Gerakan.

He claimed that the fish farming industry existed since 2001 when BN held power in Penang.

Despite the discrepancy, Afif said both statements concluded that from the 1990s until 2008, BN failed to successfully develop the fishing industry.

Instead, he added, the fishing industry developed successfully under the Pakatan government as several anti-corruption reforms were initiated.

“The Pakatan government was serious about eradicating corruption and got rid of the middle-man system, cronies or proxies, in obtaining temporary operating licenses to build fish farms,” Afif claimed.

“Today, an operator can independently obtain such licenses directly from the state government.”

On Monday, Teng produced figures from 2001 to 2015 from the Fishery Department showing the number of fish farm operators and their annual production.

The figures indicated that the number of fish farm operators increased from 191 in 2008 to 309 in 2015, with production growing from 3,166.85 (mt) in 2008 to 28,964.95 (mt) in 2015.

This can be compared to the number of 355 fish farm operators in 2001 dwindling to 173 in 2007; while production fluctuates between 2,093.25 (mt) in 2001 to 2,714.60 (mt) in 2007.

“For 2015 alone, Penang produced nine times more compared to the period under BN even when fish production was at its peak in 2006 (3,039.24 mt),” Afif pointed out.

“This fishing industry would diminish or disappear under BN if the coalition continued to rule.

“Penang BN claimed that the state government under its rule prior to 2008 had laid the foundation for the success of the fish farming industry.

“Then we should all thank Francis Light for opening up Penang, instead of thanking BN,” said the Seberang Jaya assemblyperson.