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By defining
‘bycatch’, we’ll know what is taken out of oceans, says WWF-Malaysia
OLIVIAMIWIL KOTAKINABALU
thatareup,itispointlesstothrow outfromtheocean.
“Themanagementshouldbein- (non-target) dead fish back into formed by science. Science will the sea, which is wastage and tellushowmuchwecantakefrom maycausepollution,
theocean, sothattheoceancan
naturallycontinuetoproducefish cannotbesoldatmarketswillgo andmaintaintheecosystem.”
She said the Fisheries Depart- suchasfertiliserforchickenand ment was expected to come up fish,
withanewfisheriesmanagement planinthenextfewyears.
“Bycatchsuchassmallfishthat tofactoriesforaquaculturefood,
“By sending trash fish to fac
tories,itwillbefairforfishermen Shantiniwasspeakingatapan- astheycannotsellthetrashfishat
el discussion on # # - markets, but can
"OutofSight,Outof (7' Sciencewill stillselltofactories,”
TAKEHOLDERS should Mind”attheSabah J usfoQW hesaid,addingthat givesuggestionsaboutthe Shark and Ray Ini- , . thevalueofbycatch government’sefforttode- tiativeshowcase at muchweCan tCLlce wasverylow.
velop afisheriesmanage- the Tanjung Aru from theocean, Hosaidatrawler mentplan, includingonthedef- Marine Ecosystem fh f fh nrpnri usuallycatchesone
initionof“bycatch”. Centrehere yester- ~ or two sharks or
WWF-Malaysia marine policy day. Cannaturally rays in its net and manager Shantini Guna Rajan Theone-hourdis- continue to somewerejuvenile said there is no universally ac- cussion was also j rs hnv.j and critically en- cepteddefinitionforbycatch. joinedbyMarineRe- pFOUUCeJisn ana dangeredspecies.
Shesaidbasedonnationalfish- search Foundation maintain the Hesaidwhenthat eries statistics, there is no cat- conservation officer orncuctprn ismultipliedbythe egoryforbycatch,butthereisa HoKooiChee,Low- CLUbysiern. numberofcatches, categoryfortrashfish,including er Kinabatangan .cuantiniriinarajan -it: had significant juvenileandnon-targetfishthat Segama Wetland VAAA/[r M m,rinp consequences, aresupposedtobethefuturefish Programme coordi- ~ y “In the last two' stockforthecountry. nator Neville Yapp poicymanag years,wehavebeen
“Itisanumbrellatermforac- and Kota Kinabalu ... =”- tryingtocollectda- cidental catch, non-target (ma- Fishing Boat Owners secretary ta on locations where bycatch rinespecies),butitisimportant WilliamChong,
to beclearwhatbycatchmeans forareamanagement.
happens. Now we know where On the percentage ofbycatch sharks and rays are caught in thatcommercialfishermenusu- Sabah.
“From the management per- allycatch, Chongsaid it ranged “Byknowingthesehotspots,we spective,ifwedonotdefinethem between 15 and30 percent, de- cansuggesttofisheries(author- andlumpthreatenedspecieswith pendingontheseason. ities)andfishingboatownersto juvenilecatch,wewon’tbeableto “For our vessels, weneverdo avoidthoseareastoconservethe distinguish whatis being taken anytargetfishing.Whatevernets species.”
