Sabah’s fisheries department is tightening protection for sharks and rays: Revised fishing zones and seasonal bans aim to safeguard spawning and nursery areas. The waters off Kudat are now designated as a protected breeding ground—commercial trawlers and purse seiners are banned from May to October each year.
Seasonal protection zone off Kudat
The measure aims to relieve sensitive populations during the breeding season. The announcement was made at the “Sabah Sustainable Management of Sharks and Rays Workshop” in Semporna.
“This regulation protects endangered shark and ray populations during their reproductive phase,” stated the authorities.
📍 Pasar Ikan Kudat
— datuk kamal (@karmenlunarxisc) January 19, 2022
Pari, parian
Ikan putih pelbagai spesis dan gred
Baby shark (no comment) pic.twitter.com/b4qIUKoYuB
Science-based management, broad alliance
Participants included, 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. Over 65 attendees from fisheries, authorities, and conservation sectors 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 stabilise marine food webs. At the same time, the pressure is high: Estimates suggest that around 138,000 sharks and rays are caught annually by trawlers in Sabah’s waters. Species with low reproduction rates are particularly at risk.
“Given the low reproduction rates, the risk of extinction is real. We need effective, science-based strategies.”
Balancing protection and livelihoods
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to evidence-based fisheries management and proposed continuing such expert workshops regularly. The goal is a multi-stakeholder approach that combines species conservation with the income sources of coastal communities for resilient populations and sustainable yields.