The bycatch records of sharks, marine turtles and marine mammals by the Malaysian tuna longliners and the Malaysian coastal fisheries

The bycatch records of sharks, marine turtles and marine mammals by the Malaysian tuna longliners and the Malaysian coastal fisheries

Year of publication 2013

Product type Meeting

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) From 2005 to 2010 total sharks caught by Malaysian tu longliners targeting tropical tu was from 10 – 134 tons. It made up between 06-1.2% of the total catches of the tu vessels. The catch rates of sharks by these vessels greatly vary at the range of 30 – 600 kg/vessel. From 2012 to June 2013, Malaysian flag vessels shifted their target species to albacore tu. However, the sharks catch data only available from Jaury – March 2012 as the rest of the period, the sharks caught by the longline were re leased immediately into the sea. The highest catch rate of sharks was recorded in January 2012 at 600 kg/vessel. No information on catch of turtle or marine mammal were recorded by the Malaysia tu longliners. In the coastal waters, shark catch contributed only 0.2% of total annual landing and 80% were from trawlers with the major catch from over 30 nm from the shore. There are about 56 species of sharks that inhibit in Malaysian waters. The widely distributed sharks in the Malaysian waters inclu de spot-tail shark (Carcharhinus sorrah), blackspot shark (Carcharhinus sealei), Milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), Scalloped hammered shark (Sphry lewini) and Sicklefin weasel shark (Hemigaleus mirostoma). Most of the catch were from trawl nets. For the conservation and manegement measures for both sharks and marine turtles species in the EEZ, Malaysia have developed the Natiol Action Plans for shark (2006) and marine turle (2005).

Statutory body / Meeting title Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)

Meeting symbol IOTC-2013-WPEB09-35

Meeting Session Number 9

Language English