Kudat: trawler ban for the protection of sharks and rays

The Sabah Fisheries Department is tightening the protection of sharks and rays: revised fishing zones and seasonal closures are intended to safeguard spawning and nursery areas. The waters off Kudat have now been designated as a protected breeding ground – commercial trawlers and purse seiners are banned there from May to October each year.

Seasonal protection zone off Kudat

The measure aims to ease pressure on vulnerable populations during the breeding season. The announcement was made at the “Sabah Sustainable Management of Sharks and Rays Workshop” in Semporna.

“This regulation protects vulnerable shark and ray populations during their reproductive phase,” the authority stated.

Science-based management, broad alliance

Represented were, among others, the Sabah Fisheries Department, the Marine Research Foundation, Green Semporna and Reef Check Malaysia – supported by the Shark Conservation Fund and Yayasan Sime Darby. More than 65 participants from fisheries, authorities and conservation discussed bycatch reduction, community-based protection and the mapping of critical habitats around Semporna.

Urgency: low reproduction rates, high pressure

As apex predators, sharks and rays stabilize marine food webs. At the same time, the pressure is high: estimates suggest that around 138,000 sharks and rays are caught by trawlers in Sabah’s waters every year. Species with low reproductive rates are particularly at risk.

"Given the low reproduction rates, the risk of extinction is real – we need effective, science-based strategies."

Protection and livelihoods in balance

The participants reaffirmed their commitment to evidence-based fisheries management and suggested holding such expert workshops on a regular basis. The goal is a multi-stakeholder approach that combines species conservation with the livelihoods of coastal communities – for resilient stocks and sustainable yields.