Malaysia Leads Regional Effort To Tackle Overfishing In ASEAN

By Samantha Tan Chiew Tieng

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- The Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) is spearheading a regional initiative aimed at reducing overfishing across ASEAN member countries from 2024 to 2026, according to its director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain.

The project, known as the Implementation and Assessment of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for The Management of Fishing Capacity, focuses on managing excess fishing capacity within ASEAN nations' exclusive economic zones (EEZ) to ensure sustainable fish stocks, he explained.

“The implementation of this project will contribute towards reducing overcapacity in the EEZs of each country and optimally managing fish stocks," Adnan said in an interview with Bernama.

He highlighted that the DOF was actively involved in various regional programmes under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025 to achieve sustainable fisheries resources, integrated management, effective monitoring and enforcement, as well as strengthening the capacities of member states.

The DOF is also engaged in the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi), which provides technical advice to the Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry. A key focus of ASWGFi's annual discussions is tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which remains a central agenda item, said Adnan.

“In addition, DOF is involved in the ASEAN Network for Combating IUU Fishing (AN-IUU), providing a platform for ASEAN countries to share information and best practices in addressing IUU fishing,” he added.

According to Adnan, AN-IUU enables the DOF to participate in regional discussions on more effective and improved fisheries management strategies to combat IUU fishing.

Beyond ASEAN platforms, he said the DOF was also actively engaged through the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), where Malaysia operates from an office in Terengganu to manage regional fisheries resources in Southeast Asia.

He said that this year, the DOF was chosen to lead a study on pelagic fisheries' resources in the east coast region, focusing on fish that inhabit the upper layers of the ocean, away from the sea bottom and shore.

Adnan further emphasised DOF’s involvement in various ASEAN-level projects, including capacity building in fisheries management among member countries and aquaculture cooperation, to boost domestic production.

Malaysia has assumed the ASEAN chairmanship for the fifth time this year under the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. The country previously held the ASEAN chair in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

Founded on Aug 8, 1967, ASEAN now comprises 10 Southeast Asian nations: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Timor-Leste’s membership is still in process.

-- BERNAMA