This life is fragile though, as evidenced by the plight of Malaysia’s shark populations which are perpetually under threat despite increased awareness of their importance in nature.

Fishmongers still sell shark meat by the heaps in some Malaysian wet markets. Additionally, the country’s ray populations are also under threat, with humans once again responsible for the situation.

Thankfully, there are some locals dedicating themselves to the cause of conservation and they need as much support as they can get.

Based in Kota Kinabalu, the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) is a non-profit group working hard to protect Malaysia’s sharks and rays.

FMT spoke to MRF conservation officer, Kooi Chee, or KC, to find out what’s going on in domestic waters and why conservation matters.

The 29-year-old conservation biology graduate said that she had initially joined MRF to protect sea turtles, but now is doing all she can to protect sharks and rays as well.

“MRF is focused on conservation but also does management work,” she said, adding that their research is used to impact policymaking and help to solve current issues.

According to KC, the biggest issue faced by Malaysian marine life at present is that of bycatching, which is when fishermen unintentionally haul in species they were not going after.

As to be expected, the species which are most affected by this are sharks and rays, as well as turtles and dolphins.

“Malaysia has a lot of fishing boats and many fishermen are not selective with their catch. Everything that goes into the net, they just sell it.”

MRF hopes to discover where bycatching mostly happens so it can designate these areas as hotspots with the help of the authorities.

KC also said that the use of trawl nets by fishermen is harming the environment. “They trawl across the seabed and whatever gets in its path ends up in the net.”

“By the time the fishermen pull up the net three to four hours later, any sharks and rays caught in it are likely to be dead from their injuries.”

As there is local demand for shark and ray meat, the fishermen will often sell what they catch without question.

While it may be easy to blame the fishermen for this, KC points out that no alternative solution has been offered to them either.

“It is a difficult and complicated situation,” she said, explaining that most fishermen have boats tailored to use trawl nets, and switching net types is not as simple as one may hope.

“There are sustainable alternatives though. We do not want to take away the livelihoods of fishermen,” she said.

One of the alternatives MRF is proposing is a timed-area closure, which will see hotspots of rays and sharks sealed off from human activity during certain periods.

“For example, between April to September, if a hotspot has more sharks and rays in the surrounding area, we suggest vessels operate in other areas.”

But why should sharks and rays be saved?

KC explained that sharks are at the top of the food chain and their extinction will cause a domino effect which will affect humanity as well.

Rays, too, are important to the ecosystem as when they hover over sandy areas, the sand they disturb while searching for food is a microhabitat for tiny sea creatures.

Additionally, rays play a role in the growth of phytoplankton, which form the bottom of the oceanic food chain and produce half of the world’s oxygen.

Of course, one way to protect sharks and rays is to ban consumption of food products made with their meat.

That said, enforcement is necessary for any laws to be effective. She said that even if shark and ray meat was banned, if there was no enforcement, people will consume them illegally.

So, what is the role of MRF in this regard?

According to KC, they are installing cameras on fishing boats, in the hope that these devices can help keep track of the rays and sharks that end up in fishing nets.

The data that MRF gathers helps to determine where the shark and ray hotspots are, and afterwards, they can appeal to the authorities to protect these areas.

While some fishermen have been suspicious of MRF’s intentions, many more have been cooperating with the conservationists.

KC also hopes the government will add more sharks and rays to the protected species list. “In Malaysia, we have around 150 species of sharks and rays, but only ten of these are on the list.”

“Even if a species is on the protected list, it’s not going to help if there’s no enforcement to ensure that they are looked after.”