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Feasibility of a single‐species quota system for management of the Malaysian multispecies purse‐seine fishery
Author(s) -
Harlyan Ledhyane Ika,
Matsuishi Takashi Fritz,
Md Saleh Mohammad Faisal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
fisheries management and ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1365-2400
pISSN - 0969-997X
DOI - 10.1111/fme.12470
Subject(s) - fishing , fishery , fisheries management , geography , fish <actinopterygii> , biology
Malaysian fisheries employ multiple measures to improve management; however, not all are well‐suited to the multispecies fisheries. As part of a pilot project, an individual quota system was introduced for the purse‐seine fishery off the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (ECPM), but no assessment of this particular measure nor the feasibly of its implementation has been confirmed. Therefore, this study analysed spatial and temporal patterns of purse‐seine fishing, by collecting catch composition data per landing and its fishing ground within three period fishery surveys between August 2017 and September 2018 at six different landing sites. Similarity and cluster analysis examined species composition and diversity to determine the feasibility of implementing a single‐species quota system in this multispecies fishery. Some overlapped of indices results and minor difference in catch composition were found due to changes in spatial and temporal fishing activities. However, no specific spatial or temporal patterns were discernible as structuring the fishing grounds used by purse‐seiners. The absence of patterns, using the available data, might be attributable to huge species aggregations and widely distributed and homogenously mixed fish stocks. Thus, it is likely impractical to manage species individually in such a multispecies fishery.