Malaysia's fish stocks at very low level

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 22 Aug 13;

THREAT TO ECONOMY: High demand, overfishing blamed for situation

KOTA KINABALU: MALAYSIA has lost almost 92 per cent of its fishery resources due to overfishing between 1971 and 2007, to meet increasing demand, said WWF-Malaysia.

At 55kg per capita, the non-governmental organisation said Malaysians are one of the largest consumers of seafood in Asia.

Hypothetically, in 2048, which is the predicted doomsday for global fisheries, Malaysians would require almost double its current production.

"The inevitable crash of the fisheries could potentially cripple the nation's economy and jeopardise the food security and livelihood of our people," said WWF-Malaysia executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.

"We are working with government agencies, businesses, local communities and consumers to reverse the decline in fish stocks and achieve sustainable fisheries management."

Dionysius, said yesterday campaigns like "Save our seafood 2.0" introduced a guide which helped consumers to make ocean-friendly decisions on seafood.

"To help shift our fisheries towards this direction, consumers are encouraged to look for Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council certified products."

On the subject of timber, he said, exports were expected to double by 2020 based on predictions by the National Timber Industry Policy 2009-2020 and the Ministry of Plantations and Industrial Commodities .

"The current demand for timber products far exceeds its supply.

"This increase in demand will inevitably put pressure on the remaining natural forest, resulting in it being unsustainably harvested."

Therefore, he said sustainable forest management was essential in maintaining healthy forest ecosystems and important for the wellbeing of forest-dependent people.