UMT Faculty Hosts Aquaponics Workshop, Donates System to Autism Center

The Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture (FSPA) at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), through its Aquaculture Innovation and Empowerment Research Interest Group (AEIRIG), recently hosted an Aquaponics Workshop. This initiative, conducted in partnership with the Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS) and the Terengganu Autism Association (PAUT), took place at the PAUT center in Kuala Terengganu.

Two FSPA staff members, lecturer Dr. Muhammad Abduh Yazed and Senior Fisheries Officer Khairul Anuar Kamarudin, served as speakers. The workshop attracted a diverse group of participants, including fish farmers, aquaculture entrepreneurs from various regions, homemakers, community representatives, and corporate and private agency delegates. They gathered to gain knowledge and contribute to a community initiative.

Participants received both theoretical and practical training on the fundamentals of aquaponics, system design, and setup methods. Beyond knowledge transfer, the program included a significant contribution: an aquaponics set was donated to PAUT. This donation aims to support therapeutic activities for autistic children and serve as a starting point for income generation for capable autistic teenagers, who can manage aquaponics systems with appropriate guidance.

The event also benefited from the support of several agencies, reinforcing the corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspect of the collaboration between FSPA, MFS, and PAUT. This partnership underscores the role of aquaponics in therapy, education, and community empowerment. The strategic cooperation is expected to foster further impactful collaborations between the university, professional associations, industry, and the local community, enhancing aquaponics applications for education, sustainability, therapy, and empowerment.

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Participants were exposed theoretically and practically to the introduction and basics of aquaponics, system design, and methods for preparing aquaponics systems.