User menu
From 2005 to 2010 total sharks caught by Malaysian tuna longliners targeting tropical tuna was from 10 – 134 tons. It made up between 06-1.2% of the total catches of the tuna 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 tuna. However, the sharks catch data only available from Janaury – March 2012 as the rest of the period, the sharks caught by the longline were released 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 tuna 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 include spot-tail shark (Carcharhinus sorrah), blackspot shark (Carcharhinus sealei), Milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), Scalloped hammered shark (Sphryna 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 National Action Plans for shark (2006) and marine turle (2005).
