FISH LEAP OUT OF WATER; MEN HAUL CATCH; DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE, DR. G. PROWSE; CARP PLACED ON TABLE; CARP TRANSFERRED TO TANK.




Initials LH/VS/PW/PF



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Background: ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING TROPICAL FISH INSTITUTES, AT MALACCA IN MALAYSIA, MAY BE FORCED TO CLOSE UNLESS OTHER COUNTRIES ARE PREPARED TO HELP BRITAIN FINANCE ITS OPERATIONS.

THE INSTITUTE IS WORLD FAMOUS FOR ITS RESEARCH AND HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER METHODS OF FISH FARMING. FARMERS THROUGHOUT SOUTH-EAST ASUA, CENTRAL, EAST AND WEST AFRICA AND EUROPE ITS FINDINGS.

BRITAIN CONTRIBUTES AN ANNUAL GRANT OF 60,000 POUNDS STERLING AND MALAYSIAN 3,000 POUND STERLING TO OPERATE THE TROPICAL FISH CULTURE INSTITUTE, BUT BRITAIN HAS GIVEN NOTICE THAT ITS GRANT WILL END IN 1970 UNLESS OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE, DR. G.A. PROWSE, HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE INSTITUTE BE "INTERNATIONALISED" SO THAT IT CAN CONTINUE ITS WORK.

THE INSTITUTE HAS 240 ACRES OUTSIDE MALACCA, OF WHICH MORE THAN 80 ACRES ARE FISH PONDS OF EITHER ONE ACRE OR FOUR ACRES EACH.

THERE ARE ALSO BREEDING TANKS AND RESEARCH TANKS, LABORATORIES, TEACHING FACILITIES AND AN AQUARIUM.

THE INSTITUTE HAS COMPLETED A STUDY OF THE USE OF FERTILISER IN FISH PONDS TO STIMULATE THE GROWTH OF PLANKTON AND WEEDS ON WHICH FISH FEED. BY APPLYING ONLY 30 POUNDS OF TRIPLE SUPERPHOSPHATE TO AN ACRE POND EACH MONTH FOR FIVE MONTHS THE INSTITUTE HAS PRODUCED UP TO ONE THOUSAND POUNDS OF FISH. A SIMILAR POND WITHOUT FERTILISING PRODUCED ONLY TEN POUNDS OF FISH IN THE SAME PERIOD.

EXPERTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE CARRIED OUT RESEARCH AT THE INSTITUTE OR MADE USE OF ITS FINDINGS.

IT HAS SPECIALISED IN SCIENTIFIC BREEDING OF CHINESE CARP AND PERFECTED A METHOD, BY INJECTION OF HORMONES, TO SUCCESSFULLY BREED VARIOUS SPECIES. UNTIL THE INSTITUTE DISCOVERED THIS METHOD ALL CHINESE CARP HAD TO BE OBTAINED AS FINGERLINGS FROM CHINA AND HONG KONG.