Malaysia fish stocks to vanish by 2048?
KUALA LUMPUR: The recent World Ocean Day reminded me of an alarming radio interview on the declining fish population in Malaysia.
Reports state that “Ikan Kurau”, “Ikan Lembu”, “Ikan GerutGerut”, “Ikan Sebelah” and “Ikan Gelama” are almost extinct in our local markets, having nearly disappeared from our plates and the Malaysian palate.
Just imagine, if “ikan tamban” depletes, what would happen to the keropok industry especially in Kelantan?
A study by scientists in 2006 found that the loss of ocean biodiversity was accelerating, and that 29 percent of the seafood species humans consume had already collapsed.
WWF's Living Blue Planet report (September 2015) shows some fish species have declined by close to 75 percent, all of which have impacted the fishing industry while depriving people of an essential protein supply.
The marine fishery of Malaysia is in an unhealthy state. With an increasing number of vessels equipped with modern technologies used in fishing (i.e. echo sounders, bigger fishing nets, advance refrigerator system) more and more marine fish stocks are facing the pressure of excessive exploitation.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 69 percent of the oceans commercially targeted marine fish stocks are either fully or heavily exploited (44 percent), overexploited (16 percent), depleted (6 percent), or very slowly recovering from previous overfishing (3 percent).
The Malaysian fisheries employs more than 129,000 fisherman and fish farmers with 47,000 fishing boats to meet the demand of Malaysians who consume 53Kg of fish per-capita per-annum (WWF-Malaysia, 2016), the highest in Southeast Asia.
The rising concern of our fishing industry is the local use of the banned “pukat rawa sorong” (drag nets) by our fishermen whilst trespassing into fish breeding areas meant to boost fish population.
Such an invasion has seen the fish population decline rapidly in the past 40 years, from 2.56 tonnes per sq km in 1971 to only 0.21 tonnes per sq km in 2007 (Department Of Fisheries Malaysia, 2010).
The demersal fish stock in Peninsular Malaysia had already begun its decline by more than 90 percent since 1960s, based on a survey by the Department of Fisheries.
If the long-term trend continues, in 30 years there will be little or no seafood available for sustainable harvest. The fisheries department has to play a greater role to conserve mangrove swamps and protect coral reefs, and to avoid big aquaculture projects.
Also, should such unscrupulous practice among fishermen be overlooked, their equipment will ravage the seabed and wantonly destroy fish habitats. Fish also need time to grow.
Steps should be taken to deal with the depleting fish stocks all over the world brought about by higher temperatures and acidity levels due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Prof Dr Atsushi Ishimatsu of Japan's Nagasaki University said that rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification are radically altering the aquatic ecosystems, changing fish distribution and reducing the numbers of marine animals.
Global warming which has produced higher concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has generally led to marine animals eating and reproducing less. He said fish all over the world were already under pressure from over-fishing. This was being compounded by studies that showed global warming is also a threat to marine life.
Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma of WWF-Malaysia is of the view that to improve the state of fisheries and ensure food security, is through the introduction of Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) to our fisheries sector. This is a pragmatic, stepwise approach to enhance the sustainability of fishery, while ensuring continuous harvest and supply of seafood.
WWF-Malaysia is helping businesses move towards certification and ensure that fish is being caught or produced sustainably through best fishing practices.
Farmed seafood can also be a solution to wild-caught but comes at the expense of unsustainable aquaculture practices. Seafood farming (aquaculture) is a promising solution in producing enough seafood for a growing population without having to rely exclusively on wild fish stocks.
As the majority of wild seafood is already overfished, we will have to rely on aquaculture to satisfy growing demand, added Datuk Dr Sharma.
The awareness and demand among Malaysian for sustainable seafood is low. A survey conducted by the WWF on the seafood consumers 2010 revealed that most of them were unaware of the status of Malaysia's fisheries. Overall the fishery sector has for decades been a major supplier of animal protein to the Malaysian population.
In 2007 the total fishery production of the country amounted to 1,563,942 tonnes. The United States is the main market for Malaysian exports of fish and fishery products with a share of 24.5 percent, followed by Singapore (13.2 percent), Italy (9.3 percent), Japan (7.2 percent), China (6.2 percent), Australia (5.0 percent) and others.
However, more than 70 percent of Malaysians are willing to reduce seafood consumption if they are aware that fish stocks are declining. When asked about their willingness to use a seafood guide while purchasing seafood, more than 60 percent said they would use the guide.
A collective action program with the combined forces of the fisheries department, NGO's like the WWF and with the support of marine research centres both locally and internationally, we should seriously address the issue of depleting marine resources and come up with affirmative programs to address them.
Fish is one of the greatest gifts to mankind. Greed and profit should not become the factor that drives the fishes away from our palate and plates.
Let's conserve this wonderful gift in a sustainable manner, to safeguard the interest of our future generations to come.
My gratitude to WWF for their kind efforts in assisting me with the writing of this article. I salute the folks at WWF on their tireless efforts and keen awareness and fight to preserve and protect our wildlife. Their love, affection and dedication to the animal kingdom is to be highly appreciated and commended.
(This commentary is the personal opinion of the writer and does not reflect on BERNAMA's stand on what is said by the writer) - Bernama