Labuan Tuna Industry Player Vivendi Asset Expands Into Brunei
By Jailani Hasan
LABUAN, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Labuan's leading tuna industry player, Vivendi Asset Group, is expanding its regional footprint through a major investment in Brunei, where its seafood processing venture is set to become the sultanate's largest.
The 13,000-square-metre facility in Serasa, scheduled to begin operations mid-2027, can process up to 60 tonnes of seafood daily. This will strengthen the group's presence in the regional tuna industry and international export markets.
Vivendi Asset Group chief executive officer Lee Wei Sheng and his sister, managing director Eileen Lee Hui Shi, draw on more than four decades of their family's experience in seafood trading and processing.
The family operates a longstanding seafood business in Labuan and has established a strong presence in Malaysia's tuna industry. The siblings from Labuan grew up in Brunei.
Bernama reported in 2025 that Vivendi was the sole exporter of sashimi-grade tuna and Sabah's largest tuna buyer, supplying markets including Europe and the United States.
Wei Sheng told Bernama in a recent interview that the investment aims to expand the family's seafood business and establish an integrated tuna industry ecosystem to contribute to Brunei's long-term food security, economic resilience and blue economy development.
He said Brunei could capitalise on its maritime potential to develop a sustainable alternative source of animal protein without the extensive land requirements associated with conventional livestock farming.
The proposed ecosystem would integrate fishing fleets, seafood processing facilities, cold storage and downstream manufacturing to ensure a reliable supply of nutritious, high-quality protein while reducing dependence on imported meat and seafood products.
"This is much more than a single factory. It's a step towards building an ecosystem to pull in more investment and contribute significantly to the Brunei Wawasan 2035 food security agenda," he said.
Family Expertise
The project also presented an opportunity to leverage the family's longstanding industry expertise and established international business networks.
"We are investing in this seafood processing plant because we see an opportunity to use our experience, apply it here, and further our business," Wei Sheng said.
The facility's initial phase comprises three production lines covering frozen seafood, cooked tuna loins for canning and sashimi-grade tuna, alongside producing fish meals and crude fish oil from by-products.
The facility is expected to create more than 200 jobs, with employment potentially exceeding 500 as subsequent phases are implemented.
Meanwhile, Eileen said the company is emphasising downstream processing to maximise tuna’s commercial value instead of relying solely on raw seafood exports.
"Eighty per cent of the tuna value chain is in downstream processing. So this venture is more than just being a raw fish supplier. It is about processing, industry certifications and halal positioning to build premium products," she said.
The second phase, targeted for 2029, will include a fish cannery, an omega-3 fish oil refinery and facilities to extract marine collagen and peptides for nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.
Eileen said the company has also attracted interest from a potential joint venture partner to produce fish oil, fish meal and peptides at the facility.
The family currently operates 20 fishing vessels, 10 based in Labuan and another 10 in Brunei, providing an established supply network for its seafood operations.
The Serasa plant, several times larger than the family's existing Labuan facility, will process locally sourced and imported seafood to meet production requirements.
The investment marks the family's second foreign direct investment in Brunei, following the establishment of a 55-hectare fruit and vegetable farm in Tungku in 2018.
The agricultural venture has since become Brunei's largest chilli producer, supplying more than half of its local demand.
The latest expansion further strengthens the company’s regional presence, leveraging its established expertise in tuna processing and international seafood exports to develop higher-value products.
-- BERNAMA