A Sign of commitment towards sustainable management of pelagic fish in Semporna

The Department of Fisheries has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 19 local stakeholders comprising of government agencies, NGOs, fisheries operator, fishermen’s representative and researchers to formally marked their As a sign of commitment towards sustainable management of pelagic fish in Semporna waters, 19 local stakeholders comprising of government agencies, NGOs, fisheries operator, fishermen’s representative and researchers has formallly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Fisheries.

Through the MoU, the stakeholders acknowledged that the small pelagic fisheries in Semporna are a significant marine resource for food and livelihood to the coastal community and that the resources have been threatened by unsustainable fishing practices and habitat destruction and subsequently affirmed their commitment to support and cooperate with the Department of Fisheries in achieving sustainable fisheries in Semporna.

The MoU too will pave the way for the formulation and implementation of an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) for Semporna, first of its kind in Malaysia.

The signing ceremony also marked a milestone for the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME) program as this is one of the goals in the Sulu Celebes Sea: Sustainable Fisheries Management (SCS SFM) Project.

During the signing ceremony, the department director Rayner Stuel Galid said that cooperation between government and resource users is vital in conserving and managing the invaluable marine resources in Semporna.

He explained that Semporna was chosen as the demonstration site for this project because it has the highest landing of pelagic fishes in Sabah.

“Semporna was chosen as the first demonstration site for this project because record shows that the landing of pelagic fishes is the highest in this district, so it is most suitable to implement a sustainable fisheries management system here to ensure this resources is not overexploited”, he said.

He also expressed hope for the implementation of IFMP to be replicated at other marine districts in Sabah.

Witnessing the ceremony were the Semporna assistant district officer, Minduru Hj Mohd Noor, the project consultant team from the University Malaysia Sabah led by Dr. Connie Fay Komilus and senior fisheries officers from the Marine Division of the department.

Interesting Facts on Sulu Celebes Sea: Sustainable Fisheries Management (SCS SFM) Project 

• This project involving the three countries sharing the marine resources in the Sulu and Celebes Sea namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

• It funded by United Nation and Development Program (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) is to establish a sustainable fisheries management in Sulu Celebes Sea.

• Currently being implemented under the auspice of the SSME Sub-Committee on Sustainable Fisheries, chaired by the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry.