A local fisherman goes out on a boat from boats park to the sea for fishing.
Adobe Stock
With the aim of strengthening national food security and increasing the income of fishing communities, the Government of Malaysia has committed to promoting the active participation of Area Fishermen’s Associations (PNK) and State Fishermen’s Associations (PNN) in the national aquaculture sector.
According to Malaysia's national news agency, BERNAMA, this initiative is driven by the decline in marine fish resources and the pressures of coastal development, which have reduced catches and particularly affected coastal fishermen.
In this regard, the agency cites the words of the Chairman of the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, who said that "the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has set a target for 40% of national fish production to come from the aquaculture sector by 2030 due to declining marine resources."
Also, he highlighted that the number of associations involved in aquaculture activities has increased from 13 to 20 over the past two years, and he noted the success of several prawn farming projects in Johor and cockle farming initiatives in Lawas, Sarawak, as well as in Melaka Barat and Ujong Batu.
Lastly, the government has stated that it is working on initiatives to train fishermen in aquaculture and business management to promote entrepreneurial activity.
In line with these policies, scientists from Malaysia and the UK have developed a new framework called the 'Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Biosecurity in the Seaweed Industry' (PMP/AB-Seaweed), which is intended to provide a practical roadmap for enhancing the resilience of Malaysia’s seaweed industry.
