History
The State of Sabah (formerly known as British North Borneo under the British colonial period33) joined Malaysia on 16th September 1963. Sabah is also called "Land below the Wind" because of its strategic position below the typhoon belt. Although there is evidence of trade with China from the 7th century, it is generally believed that since time immemorial, much of the trade including fisheries is much confined within the SSME area.
Some Significant Historic Dates
1665 The first Englishman, Captain Cowley, visited Borneo.
1877 Baron Von Overbeck and Alfred Dent signed four leases with the Sultan of Brunei. Some 28,000 square miles of territory and some 900 miles of North Borneon coastline were leased out to them. Another treaty with the Sultan of Sulu was also concluded ceding large portions of territory to Overbeck and Dent.
1881 Kudat became the first official capital of North Borneo until 1883.
1882 The British North Borneo Chartered Company was formed.
1884 Sandakan became the capital of British North Borneo.
1888 North Borneo became a British protectorate.
1942 Japanese forces landed in Labuan, Sabah on January 1st and occupied Sabah until she was liberated by the Australian Ninth Division in 1945.
1946 Sabah became a British Crown colony. Kota Kinabalu became the capital.
1963 Sabah gained independence from Britain on 31st August.
1963 Sabah joined Sarawak and Malaya to form Malaysia on 16th September.
State Government Machinery
Under the State Constitution, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or State Governor acts as the Head of State but only holds certain executive powers. The state administration in Sabah34 carried out by the State Cabinet headed by a Chief Minister, State Legislative Assembly and State Public Services Department.
There are a total of 10 Ministries and 1 department that oversee several government agencies and statutory bodies in Sabah.
v Chief Minister Department v Ministry of Finance
v Ministry of Industrial Development
v Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology v Ministry of Infrastructure Development
v Ministry of Local Government and Housing
v Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports Development v Ministry of Rural and Entrepreneurial Development v Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs
v Ministry of Tourism Development, Environment, Science and Technology v Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry
33 URL source: http://www.ssl.sabah.gov.my/clh/english/history/main_history.htm
34 URL source: http://www.sabah.gov.my
The management of fisheries in Sabah comes under the purview of the Department of Fisheries Sabah (DOF Sabah), a department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the State Government of Sabah. DOF Sabah has a long history that dates back to the pre-war days, which came to an end when it merged with the Department of Agriculture in the mid-1950s. In 1968, the Fisheries Branch was separated as a full department under the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Fisheries of Sabah35.
Geography
The state of Sabah located on the northern part of Borneo Island (4o10’ - 7o40’N and 115o10’ - 119o20’E), is bordered by Brunei on the southwest and Indonesia on the south. With a total land area of 74,236 km2 – with 60% covered with forests, Sabah has the second largest area (after Sarawak) among the 13 states in Malaysia. Considering all coasts with direct marine exposure (lagoons, mainland and islands), the total length of Sabah coastline becomes around 4,315 km including islands and lagoons, making it being the longest coastline36 in Malaysia. Sabah borders the South China Sea on its west coast, the Sulu Sea on the northeast and the Sulawesi Sea on its southeast coast. The state territorial waters extend to 12 nautical miles. Malaysia maintains an Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles or until the 200-meter isobath whichever is the furthest distance. The territorial waters of Sabah cover around 51,360 km2 or about 32% of the Malaysian EEZ (170,773 km2).
One of the most prominent mountain ranges in Sabah is the Crocker Range with an average height between 457 to 914 meters, which separates the narrow lowland of the northwest coast from the interior. The Crocker Range culminates in Gunung Kinabalu (4,095 meters), the highest mountain in Malaysia and in Southeast Asia. In general, Sabah can be divided into four principal geomorphologic regions37, comprising of the following:
o Eastern Lowlands: include the Northern Islands (Banggi Group of Islands and Malawali Island), Lokan Peneplain between the Labuk and Kinabatangan rivers, Kinabatangan lowlands, Segama Valley, Sandakan Peninsula, Semporna peninsula, and the Dent Hills.
o Deltas: include the wetlands at the mouth of rivers flowing out into the Sulawesi and Sulu Seas, comprising of the Eastern Delta formed through the merging of the Segama and Kinabatangan rivers; Cowie Delta in Tawau; and the Sugut and Labuk Deta in the northeast.
o Central Uplands: include the Segama and Tawau Highlands.
o Western Lowlands: include the Crocker Foothills, Crocker Plains, Klias Hills, and Western Islands (Labuan, Tiga, Gaya, Mangalum, Mantanani and a number of smaller islands on the continental shelf off the west coast of Sabah).
35 Ministry name changed to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry in 2000
36 The length of the Sabah coastline in the past is generally (and officially?) referred to as exceeding 1600 km. However, from the recent GIS studies of the Sabah ICZM project, the mainland coastline for Sabah was calculated around 1,285 km, island coastline (1,854 km) and lagoons (1,189 km) – excluding FT Labuan.
37 Information extracted from the Sabah Integrated Coastal Zone Management website Source: http://www.iczm.sabah.gov.my/
Climate
Sabah has an equatorial climate characterized by constant temperature, considerable amount of rain and high humidity throughout the year. The seasonal weather changes in Sabah and the SSME area are determined by two great apposing monsoons, which converge along the Inter- Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ migrates north and south with the sun, heralding the change from one monsoon to another (Tomascik et al., 1997).
The state of Sabah including the SSME region has two seasons, wet and dry, which are separated by transition periods that respectively runs through the months of April to May and October to November each year. The dry season, which runs through the months of June to September during the Southwest Monsoon, is influenced by the Australian continental air masses. The Southwest Monsoon develops during the months of June and July when there is high pressure over Australia and low pressure over Asia. The Pacific Oceans and Asian continent air masses influence the wet season, which occurs between the months of December to March during the Northeast Monsoon. The Northeast Monsoon develops during the months of December to January when there is high pressure over Asia and low pressure over Australia. The transition from the Northeast Monsoon begins during March when the ITCZ is on the equator and moving northward. The transition period from the Southwest Monsoon begins in September, with the weakening of the Australian high pressure when the ITCZ is on the equator and is moving southwards. The northeast monsoon normally brings a considerable heavy amount of rain in most parts of Sabah. Much drier periods in most parts of Sabah were normally coincided with the Southwest monsoon.
The average of the monthly air temperature values in most parts of the coastal zone of Sabah range between 26oC and 28oC with normal monthly fluctuations less than 1oC. Relatively, the months between March and July were recorded as the period in which temperatures were the highest which coincided with the drier SW Monsoon.
The tides in Sabah are much influenced by the tidal wave propagation from the Pacific Ocean with co-oscillation results, which is greatly complicated by the complex bathymetry and coastal geometry. Diurnal (once a day), semidiurnal (twice a day) and mixed tides are found in Sabah waters. On the west coast of Sabah, the western part of Balambangan Island down to the Brunei Bay, the tide type is mixed tide – prevailing diurnal. On the east coast of Sabah, the tidal type is mixed tide – prevailing semidiurnal except for Semporna waters including the Darvel Bay, which is of mixed tide – prevailing diurnal (Wyrtki, 1961).
District Boundaries and Demography
Administratively, Sabah is divided into 24 districts38, including the state capital – the City of Kota Kinabalu and 2 municipalities (Sandakan and Tawau) (Table A30). Out of these, two districts are within the coastal zone (Sandakan and Kuala Penyu), 16 districts with land transected by the inland boundary and 6 remaining districts in the interior without land in the coastal zone (Ranau, Tenom, Pensiangan, Keningau, Tambunan and Tongod). In this report, the fisheries profile as well as other related social economic characteristics are described along on these administrative boundaries.
38 Including the newly established administrative district of Tongod, which was formerly part of the non- coastal portion of Kinabatangan. In this report, Tongod is still considered part of the Kinabatangan district.
The fishery sector of the Kinabatangan district in SSME-2 is basically freshwater riverine-based – with fishes caught in the marine waters within its administrative boundary generally landed in Sandakan. The marine fish contribution is unknown but generally believed to be substantial being part of the most productive fishing grounds in Sabah.
The total land area of Sabah39 is around 74,236 km2, of which 37% is in the coastal zone, 61%
non-coastal and 2% on islands. Coastal districts make up 78% of the administrative total land area – with only 22% in the interior. The coastal zone has a coastline of 4,316 km40 covering an area of 29,074 km2, with 95% on the mainland and 5% on the islands.
The coastal zone is unevenly distributed with 15% on the west coast and 85% on the east coast.
The mainland of the coastal zone is unevenly distributed with only 15% on the West Coast end 85% on the East Coast. The limited extent of the coastal zone on the West Coast is due to the Crocker Range extending close to the shoreline along most of its length. On the East Coast, the inland boundary extends far into the inland parts of the state due to the extensive and gradually sloping 15,385 km2 Kinabatangan flood plains – which make up 35% of the total mainland area or 70% of the mainland coastal zone on the east coast.
The coastline in the SSME area is heavily indented with lagoons, estuaries, bays and mangrove swamps compared to the non-SSME portion. About 76% of the coastline on the mainland (including lagoons) lies in the SSME area. Most of the islands are also in the SSME area, with 97% and 91% of the state island area and coastline respectively in the SSME area.
Sabah has a total population of 2.45 million41 (population density: 33.0 persons.km-2) making up 11% of the country total (Table A4), with 75% of them live and work in the coastal zone. Out of the total, about 52% of them lives in the SSME area, 34% in the coastal non-SSME and 14% in the interior. The most populated areas in Sabah are distributed in major economic growth areas in the coastal zone, i.e. Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Semporna.
Sabah is endowed with a heterogeneous population. The indigenous population alone is made up of some 30 ethnic groups conversing in more than 50 indigenous languages and not less than 80 dialects. The main indigenous groups in Sabah include the Kadazan-Dusun-Murut (including the Rungus and Lotud), Bajau (Darat and Laut), Brunei Malay, Orang Sungei, Kadayan, Bisaya, Suluk and many other subgroups including Bonggi, Iranun and Ida'an. The Chinese form the largest non-indigenous group. Other groups include illegal immigrants of various ethnic groups from the Philippines and Indonesia.
A large portion of these illegal immigrants live and work in the SSME area – with the majority of them in Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak as well as on the west coast including the interior. Most of them are working in agricultural plantations (mainly concentrated in the SSME area), construction, services and timber sectors as well as in fisheries. According to the Monthly Statistical Bulletin Sabah (July 2000 edition)42, non-Malaysians including illegal immigrants make 29% of the total population.
39 Maps in this report were obtained from the Sabah ICZM Project web site. Areas marked in green and light blue respectively denote the land area and marine waters under the administrative jurisdiction of each district. Source: http://www.iczm.sabah.gov.my/
40 In most cases – it was generally reported that the coastline of Sabah including medium sized to large islands is about 1,743 km – making it the state having the longest coastline in the country (4,809 km).
However, the 4,316 km figure in this report includes the total coastline on the mainland, lagoons and islands. This figure is quoted from the final report of the Sabah ICZM project.
41 The number of illegal immigrants in Sabah is available at this moment of time, but it is generally believed that illegal immigrants from Indonesia and the Philippines are in the region of a few hundred thousands (see Box 1).
42 http://www.ids.org.my/stats/Population/index.htm
Ethnic Breakdown, Sabah 2000
kadazan dusun murut 20.8%
others 8.8%
malay and bajau 17.8%
non- malaysian
28.9%
other bumiputera
13.2%
chinese 10.5%
Economic Setting
About 60% of the land in Sabah is under forest cover while agriculture occupies about 30%.
Forest resources and agriculture produce have always been the main sources of income for the State. Mineral and non-mineral deposits such as oil, copper, gold, limestone and quarry are also found in the State. Sabah's economy is dependent on exports of its major primary commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, rubber, crude petroleum, sawn timber and plywood – that represents 70% of the total exports. At present, Sabah is the major producer of palm oil and cocoa in the whole of Malaysia. Apart from timber and the agriculture sectors, the manufacturing and the tourism sectors in the State are fast developing and gaining increasing importance to the State's economy.
The agriculture sector, including forestry, livestock and fishing, contributes the largest component to the state GDP, making up 41% of the 1999 GDP of RM9.1 billion (Table A28 & Figure 35).
Fisheries account for a small but important contribution to the State economy, making up 7% of the agriculture GDP or 2% of the state’s annual GDP (Figure 36). In terms of employment, the agriculture sector has the largest work force with 32% of the state’s total in 1999 (Table A29).
The economy of Sabah can be described as developing, with a dominant primary commodity export base. Sabah is endowed with abundant natural resources and its main exports consist of primary commodities such as timber, palm oil, rubber, copra, petroleum and cocoa (Table 32).
Table 32: Export by Commodity Type, Sabah (in RM’000)
COMMODITY Jan-Oct 1999 % Total Jan-Oct 2000 % Total
Processed timber and paper 1,927,298 17.4 2,009,588 18.5
Crude Petroleum 1,594,110 14.4 2,909,808 26.8
Palm Oil 3,204,540 29.0 2,553,036 23.5
Cocoa Beans 182,700 1.7 73,365 0.7
Rubber 55,601 0.5 54,055 0.5
Others 4,082,157 37.0 3,265,205 30.1
TOTAL EXPORT VALUE 11,046,406 100% 10,865,057 100%
Source: Monthly Statistical Bulletin Sabah, December 2000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 mean Figure 35. Percentage sectoral contribution to real GDP (Gross Domestic Product), Sabah (1993-1999 period)
agriculture mining manufacturing others
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 mean Figure 36. Fisheries contribution to real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in Sabah (1993-1999 period)
% fishing to Agriculture GDP % fishing to Total GDP
Most of the agriculture plantations in Sabah are located in the SSME area – SSME-1 (palm oil and copra), SSME-2 (palm oil) and SSME (palm oil and cocoa). Sabah is the third most important producer of petroleum and natural gas in Malaysia. The natural gas generates electricity, which fuels a hot briquette iron plant and a methanol plant on the island of Labuan.
Development Setting
The development setting in Sabah encompasses both national and state policies. In the national context, the development of Sabah is closely tied to the objectives of the 8th Malaysian Plan43 (2001-2005), the National Development Policy during the period of the 3rd Outline Perspective Plan OPP3 (2001-2010)44, Vision 202045 and the 3rd National Agriculture Policy (1999-2010).
BOX 7: 3r d National Agriculture Policy on Fisheries
”……Marine fisheries, in particular, deep sea fishing, inshore fishing and aquaculture will be encouraged and supported with adequate incentives, infrastructure and programme. The development of the industry will focus on the further expansion of fresh and processed products including in support of the development of an integrated and viable fishery resource-based manufacturing activity. These products will cater for the expanding local and foreign markets.
The exploitation of fisheries resources will be undertaken on a sustainable basis……...”
These national policies guide the broad development thrusts of Malaysia and development strategies for Sabah as follows:
• Restructuring the State economy through industrial development in three areas:
downstream processing of the States’ natural resources, commercialising agriculture through opening up of more land for large scale industrial crops, and modernisation of small holdings and the fishery sector;
• Ensuring a balanced development of the major sectors of the economy so as to increase mutual complementarities to optimise growth;
• Improving the productivity and income of the people;
• Promoting and strengthening integration by reducing the wide disparities in economic development between regions and between urban and rural areas;
• Promoting human resource development, including the creation of a productive and disciplined workforce with the necessary skills to meet challenges in industrial development;
• Ensuring adequate provision of basic social and physical infrastructure for building an internationally competitive economy; and
• Ensuring that adequate attention is given to protect the environment and ecology so as to maintain the long-term sustainability of development in the State.
43 http://www.epu.jpm.my/RM8/front_RM8.html
44 http://www.epu.jpm.my/OPP3/front_opp3.html
45 http://www.epu.jpm.my/epu-mservis-v2020.html
Based on these development objectives, it is predicted that Sabah’s economy will grow at 7-8%
per annum during the next decade; at the same time it is expected that the economy will be transformed from a commodity dependent to an industrial-based economy.
In the state context, the agriculture development in Sabah (including fisheries) is closely tied with the Outline Perspective Plan Sabah (OPPS: 1995-2010) and the second State Agriculture Policy (1999-2010). (Appendix 1)
Management of the Coastal Zone in Sabah
The recently completed Sabah Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) study recommended several strategies pertaining to the management of the coastal zone in Sabah46.
There are a number of legal instruments relevant to coastal zone management including fisheries in Sabah. Among the important legislations includes the following:
v Fisheries Act 1985 (amended 1993, Act 317)
v Fisheries Ordinance of Sabah (2 subsidiaries – pertaining to fish bombing and destruction of marine resources)
v Pearl Oyster Fisheries Ordinance 1965
v Environmental Quality Act 1974 (containing 20 subsidiaries and regulations on the environment)
v Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1984
v Environmental Conservation Enactment 1996 (prescribed activities order – to protect and conserve natural resources and safeguard the environment)
v Environmental Conservation Enactment 1997 (6 subsidiaries pertaining to turtle conservation)
v Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960
Other relevant acts and ordinances also include the following:
v Explosive Act 1957 (can be used to deal with illegal fish bombing) v Geological Act 1974
v Merchant Shipping Act 1974 (Act 129) v Merchant Shipping Act 1994 (Act 515)
v Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 (control of pollution and maritime casualties) v Mining Ordinance 1960
v Petroleum (safety measures) Act 1984 v Petroleum Development Act 1974
v Petroleum Mining Act 1966 (control of maritime pollution, cutting of timber, fishing and navigation)
v National Forestry Act 1974
v Town and Country Planning Ordinance (Cap 141 of 1969) v Water Resources Enactment 1998
v Parks Enactment 1984
Besides the above laws and regulations, another state enactment applicable to the management and conservation of fisheries in Sabah is the Conservation of Environmental Enactment 1996 (section 5: fisheries and activities)47, which has provision for fisheries and activities which may endanger marine and aquatic life.
46 For more details, please refer to the ICZM webite at http://www.iczm.sabah.gov.my/
47 http://www.sabah.gov.my/jkas/laws/default.htm