Penang:According to BERNAMA News Agency, the government has licensed 36 Zone C3 high-capacity deep-sea fishing vessels as part of efforts to enhance the country's tuna industry. The Tuna Industry Development Strategic Plan 2021-2030 aims to have 70 such vessels operating in the Indian Ocean by 2030.

Ruzaidi Mamat, senior director of the Department of Fisheries' Capture Fisheries Resource Division, stated that the industry is a high-value sector and a current focus for development to increase national tuna fish production. In 2025, Malaysia landed 97,240 metric tonnes of tuna and tuna-like species, valued at RM980 million.

The Department of Fisheries has set a Key Performance Indicator of 92,000 metric tonnes for tuna landings this year, with a target of 150,000 metric tonnes by 2030. Kha Yang Marine Sdn Bhd, a key player in Malaysia's tuna industry since 2010, currently operates 14 Zone C3 fishing ships and two Zone C3 carrier vessels in the Indian Ocean.

The KHA YANG 666, the company's second carrier vessel under the Malaysian flag, can carry up to 1,700 tonnes of tuna cargo for transhipment within the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission competence area. Ruzaidi noted that these carrier vessels are expected to elevate the country's tuna industry on a global scale, boost confidence in Malaysian fishery products, and enhance the sector's competitiveness while protecting marine ecosystems.

Kha Yang Marine Sdn Bhd's general manager, Ooi Wee Seong, highlighted that the Kha Yang 666, at 78.72 meters in length and with a gross tonnage of 1,887 tonnes, is the largest dedicated tuna carrier ever registered under the Malaysian flag and is homeported at Penang Port. The vessel, manned by a crew of 30, is anticipated to strengthen the tuna industry supply chain, help Penang become a regional maritime and fisheries hub, and create skilled jobs for locals.