Sustainable Cockle Farming Empowers Sabah Communities

The world along Sabah’s west coast, once so familiar to him since childhood, is changing. The sea that had long been generous to this B40 fisherman now feels less forgiving. Today, Sulaiman struggles to keep food on the table for his wife and their three children, aged eight, 13 and 15.

“I first followed my father to the sea when I was 12, some 34 years ago. By the time I turned 20, I had begun working as an inshore fisherman myself—a journey that has spanned 26 years.

“In the past, cockles, crabs, fish—they were all abundant right before our eyes. A single trip to sea guaranteed more than RM100. But now, the sea is different... even making RM100 is hard,” Sulaiman shared with the writer, who has witnessed this reality firsthand while living here for the past five years.

Tuaran, located 34 kilometres 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 traditional fishermen like Sulaiman to sail further offshore, posing greater challenges especially for those with limited fishing equipment. To boost his catch, Sulaiman even brings along his eldest son during school holidays.

 

 A GLOBAL PHENOMENON

The decline of marine resources is not unique to Sabah’s waters but is a global issue haunting fishing communities worldwide. Without sustainable approaches, seafood stocks will continue to shrink, leaving traditional fishermen like Sulaiman sidelined and trapped in poverty.

Data from the Malaysian Fisheries Department shows a consistent decline in national seafood landings, with 1.38 million metric tonnes recorded in 2020, dropping to 1.32 million tonnes (2021), 1.31 million tonnes (2022), and plunging further to 1.27 million tonnes in 2023.

In Sabah, however, 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, Sabah holds unmatched blue economy potential. Its fisheries sector alone could yield 491,000 metric tonnes of seafood worth RM3.5 billion annually, according to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

But as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” Thus, the Sabah government has introduced several initiatives to ensure marine resources remain sustainable while providing lifelines to fishermen and local communities like Sulaiman—who have long weathered the tides of hardship.

  

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.

By cultivating cockles under controlled conditions, pressure on wild cockle stocks can be reduced, while producing higher-quality cockles—creating a win-win situation for local communities while safeguarding marine resources for future generations.

Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) Chief Executive Datuk Seri Hashim Paijan explained that conventional overharvesting of wild cockles could push species like the blood cockle (Tegillarca granosa) towards extinction.

“If cockles are left wild and harvested freely, their numbers will decline over time, 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 cockle farm 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. The following years saw 499 metric tonnes worth RM11.5 million (2021) and 322 metric tonnes worth RM3.7 million (2022). Similar projects also exist in Selangor, Penang, and Melaka.

Determined to replicate this success, Hashim brought the project to the Land Below the Wind with pilot cockle farms in Tuaran and Beluran, comprising 12 and 65 farming lots respectively.

On July 5, Hajiji officiated the Tuaran pilot project  at Kampung Pulau Simpangan as part of Sabah’s blue economy development.

“Each lot involves 10 participants. We expect local fishermen to earn between RM3,000 and RM6,000 per month depending on output. This is much higher and more stable than their current income,” Hashim said.

 

Hashim noted that fishermen and locals like Sulaiman, who fall within the B40 group and are registered under eKasih, are the main target participants of the Sabah Cockle Farm project.

Participants will be 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,” he stressed.

He compared cockle farming challenges to seaweed cultivation, which requires high physical endurance due 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,” he added.

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.

 

Borneo’s waters are home to unique marine life—and that includes cockles. According to Dr Hadzley Harith, Head of the Mollusc Unit at the Pulau Sayak Fisheries Research Institute, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, this means importing seeds from successful farms elsewhere, such as Lekir, simply doesn’t work.

“Instead, we searched for the best cockle seeds in Sabah—ones that are naturally adapted to local plankton and sea currents,” he said.

The breakthrough came when his team discovered local species in Tawau. Using hatchery technology, they are now breeding these cockles in Tuaran.

Transporting broodstock from Tawau to Tuaran, however, was no small feat. The 10-hour journey required careful scientific handling to keep the cockles alive and healthy.

“The cockles arrived fresh, and once we placed them in Tuaran tanks filled with mud and seawater, they began to open and move—signs they were adjusting well to their new surroundings,”  Hadzley explained with a smile.

For him, understanding the natural habitat of cockles is key. “When we truly understand where cockles thrive, we can identify the right locations and build farms that succeed,” he said.

 

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.

 “The methods we introduced from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah are designed to benefit local communities.

“In Selangor, for instance, it usually takes 16 months to two years for cockle seeds to grow from 4mm to 25mm. But after extensive scientific studies, we 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,” he shared.

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 results are impressive. 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.

Developed under the 12th Malaysian Plan (RMK12), these technologies have already proven successful at several farming sites across Sabah.

“This is no longer a pilot project—it’s a full-fledged technology developed under RMK12,” Hadzley said proudly. “Beyond fast-growth techniques, we’ve also introduced induced breeding technology directly in the field.”

With these breakthroughs, cockle farming in Sabah is entering a new era—one that promises not only faster yields but also greater opportunities for farmers to earn a sustainable livelihood.

Referring to the Lekir Cockle Farm, he noted it produced 11.23 metric tonnes per hectare last year—equivalent to nearly 238 tonnes annually for a 21-hectare lot—ensuring lucrative returns for participants.

  

Hadzley is confident Tuaran will emerge as one of   Sabah’s main cockle seed production hubs,  alongside Beluran, in building a sustainable cockle farming industry.

Three other districts—Tawau, Beaufort, and Kota Marudu—also have potential for development using proven local technology.

“This 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.

“For the record, the Fisheries Department has produced over 4,000 metric tonnes of cockle seeds at Lekir Bay to date,” he said.

Participants, he added, will sell half of their seeds while keeping the rest for their own farming lots.

“At present, farm-gate prices reach RM10 per kilogramme (kg), while market prices go as high as RM18 per kg. Even at RM15 per kg, it’s still affordable for buyers and profitable for farmers,” he explained.

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

 

 PILOT PROJECT

Meanwhile, Sabah Fisheries Department Director Dr. Shuhadah Mustapha said Tuaran was chosen as the pilot site for the Sabah Cockle Farm due to its high suitability based on scientific analysis.

“Studies by both the Malaysian and Sabah Fisheries Departments found the area ideal due to its high plankton density, which is the main food source for cockles.

“This is because the site lies at the convergence of several currents carrying minerals and nutrients from other places—encouraging plankton growth,” she said, adding that the environment was suitable for all shellfish species.

At the project’s launch, Hajiji—who hails from nearby Kampung Serusup—stressed his commitment to helping residents benefit from socioeconomic improvements.

“We want to help our people, and that’s why we’re doing this project,” he said.

Through Sabah’s blue economy plan, the state’s cockle industry is projected to generate RM34.4 million annually, based on an estimated 3,240 metric tonnes of landings and a return on investment of about sevenfold.

Like cockles opening their shells to absorb life around them, this project opens doors of opportunity for locals to embrace a better, more sustainable future.

Here, among grains of sand and crashing waves, a quiet revolution is taking place—a reminder that sometimes, the best answers for the future lie hidden in plain sight, inside a humble shell.