Wong’s remarks follow a report by Channel NewsAsia, in which WWF-Malaysia highlighted what it saw as severe overfishing in the country’s waters, based on figures from a government survey.
According to the survey conducted by the department of fisheries in 2016, the density of fish close to the sea floor had declined by 88% nationwide.
Wong said Malaysia should mirror Indonesia’s actions by banning trawling, a practice harmful to fish stocks and industry sustainability, as it captures significant amounts of marine life using nets towed along the seafloor.
“Indonesia has banned trawling for seven or eight years now. Traditional fishermen are only allowed to use lining, but they still make (earn) a lot. Every time they fish, they bring back 10kg to 15kg.
“You can easily catch that much because when you stop trawling for eight years, the outcome is that there will be plenty of fish in the sea.
“We should learn from other countries,” he told FMT.
In 2015, the Indonesian government implemented a ban on destructive seine and trawl nets to safeguard the ocean ecosystem. The ban was relaxed in 2020 following opposition from fishermen but was reinstated a year later.
The fisheries sector in Indonesia plays an important role in supporting national and global food security. With about 12 million employees, Indonesia ranks second globally in fish production, trailing only China.
Wong said there is a noticeable trend in Malaysia of fishermen going out of business because of the country’s inaction in implementing effective fishing laws.
“This trend will continue unless we improve (our laws). Fishing used to be sustainable (in Malaysia), but because of wrong policies, it’s not sustainable anymore,” he said.
In 2020, a United Nations report revealed that nearly 95% of global fish stocks were overfished or at maximum sustainable yield.
With Malaysia ranking sixth among the top 20 countries in captured fisheries, experts caution that targeted food species may disappear by 2048 if overfishing persists.
To overcome this, Wong said, Malaysia should consider practices adopted by countries such as Australia, which focus on discouraging the capture and trade of smaller fish and those at their reproductive stages.
“Yet, in Malaysia, if you go to the market and the lobsters are full of eggs, people are fighting for those lobsters because they’re tasty, but that’s wrong,” he said.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia’s marine programme leader, Chitra Devi, said sustainable seafood sourcing practices in the country vary, depending on the industry.
“For instance, the hospitality industry, where most of WWF-Malaysia’s business work is focused, is open to the idea of sourcing sustainable seafood.
“However, the retail industry has much room for improvement in sustainable sourcing,” she told FMT.
Sustainable seafood refers to fish and other aquatic organisms that are caught or farmed using methods that minimise environmental impact, maintain healthy population levels, and adhere to social and economic considerations.
Chitra also said the most significant environmental threat stems from the way humans produce, consume and dispose of food.
She said Malaysia must conserve its marine resources, make responsible choices in the consumption of seafood, improve its sourcing, and reduce food wastage.