4,000 tonnes of squid lost to illegal fishing a year

PUTRAJAYA: More than 4,000 metric tonnes of squid are lost to illegal fishing every year, with perpetrators mainly from Vietnam.

Fisheries Department directorgeneral Datuk Munir Mohd Nawi said illegal, unregulated and unreported squid fishing in the west coast stood at 991 to 1,383 metric tonnes a year; in the north of the east coast it was 3,646 to 4,140 metric tonnes; and in Sarawak, 600 to 3,335 metric tonnes.

He said a significant number of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing cases involving squids were in the South China Sea.

“We need to do more to reduce the illegal activity and ensure more of the squid catch is brought back to our shores for the local market.”

He said east coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang had many cases of encroachment due to its vast area and rich marine resources.

He said studies on Malaysia’s marine resources showed there were 1.8 million metric tonnes of demersal marine life and pelagic fish, with tuna and prawn worth RM18.1 billion.

He said the department would take all the necessary steps to plug the leakages in the fisheries sector and rebuild the marine stocks that were lost to fishing and natural disasters.

We need to do more to reduce the illegal activity.

DATUK MUNIR MOHD NAWI Fisheries Department director-general