Feasibility of a single-species quota system for management of the Malaysian multispecies purse-seine fishery

Ledhyane Ika Harlyan^1,2, Takashi Fritz Matsuishi^3* and Mohammad Faisal Md Saleh⁴

¹Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia

²Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan

³Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan

⁴Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (MFRDMD/SEAFDEC), Chendering Fisheries Garden, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

*Corresponding author:

MATSUISHI Takashi Fritz ,

Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University,

3-1-1 Minato, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan.

Email: catm@fish.hokudai.ac.jp

ABSTRACT

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 differences 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.

Keywords: fisheries management, mixed-stock fishery, spatial and temporal distribution, species aggregation, species composition, species diversity