KUALA TERENGGANU: A failed government-sponsored project in Jenagor to raise kelah (Malayan Mahseer) for the ornamental fish trade is being revived thanks to its recent reorientation towards the fine dining industry.

Launched by the Fisheries Department last year, the project had aimed to increase the income of residents in the area by involving them in the breeding and trade of the highly-prized ornamental fish.

Fifty-three participants were then roped in and supplied with thousands of kelah fry to be raised in tanks in the backyard of their homes.

But participants who had expected to sell live six-inch kelah for RM200 each, received a shock during harvest time last year when their fish grew into the low-quality white variety of the species, instead of the much sought after red type.

"I could only sell a handful of the kelah to a buyer in Kelantan last year. And that was the first and last transaction I made, as the fish were not of the red variety," said Yusof Taib, 43, who had participated in the project.
With the initiative appearing to be a failure, some participants had contemplated cutting their losses and abandoning the project.

But the Fisheries Department managed to salvage the situation by quickly proposing a change in focus towards breeding the fish for consumption. The new plan would see the fish sold to high end restaurants and served as "smoked kelah".

"The plan now is to process the fish as smoked kelah. It is something new and we believe that we have a better chance of selling them as exotic food than for their ornamental value," said Yusof.

To demonstrate the government's faith in the project, the Agriculture and Agro-based Committee decided to build a facility in nearby Kampung Kuala Pueh where the kelah would be smoked and packaged.

"We have pumped in close to RM70,000 for the facility and it will be ready soon to process the kelah," Committee chairman Rozi Mamat said.

Rozi admitted that the kelah fry initially supplied for the project were not of the red variety, but now that the fish were grown, participants would still be able to profit from the enterprise.

"The price of the fish as food will remain good and the most important thing is that we will solve the marketing problem faced by the participants."

In the meantime, the Fisheries Department has not given up hope on the ornamental fish trade project, and has set up a kelah hatchery in Sekayu where the parent stock will be of the red variety found in Tasik Kenyir.

"We still believe that there is money to be made by the participants in raising the exotic red kelah for the aquarium fish trade.

"This time, they will be assured of the quality," said Rozi.