At risk: Environmental organisations are pushing for enhanced legal protections for sharks and rays.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sharks and rays may be vanishing from Malaysian waters – only to resurface on e-commerce platforms, say environmental groups.
A new joint study by Traffic Southeast Asia and WWF-Malaysia has uncovered a booming online trade in shark and ray products worth over RM326mil, warning that endangered species including the critically endangered wedgefish are being openly sold as meat, fins and even whole bodies.
The groups in a joint statement said the findings showed an urgent need for Malaysia to widen legal protection under the Fisheries Act 1985, tighten traceability rules and curb local consumption before these vital marine predators disappear entirely.
The findings based on their “From Sea to Screen: Malaysia’s Online Shark and Ray Trade,” study conducted between October and December 2022, showed there was a growing and lucrative online market for shark and ray products.
“The survey recorded sales across major e-commerce platforms – representing at least 5.25 million kilos of products.
“The study revealed that local consumption of sharks and rays extends beyond shark fin.
“Online, it is fresh and processed meat which dominates in volume, while whole bodies appeared most frequently in posts,” the statement read.
The organisations called for coordinated action across all sectors including the government to expand protection for endangered marine species, including sharks and rays under the Fisheries Act 1985 and strengthen labelling and trade monitoring standards.
“E-commerce platforms and sellers need to disclose product origin and work with civil society groups to promote responsible trade practices,” it said.
The statement stressed that sharks and rays are crucial marine species that play vital roles in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
“They are highly vulnerable to fishing pressure as they are slow-growing, late-maturing species with few offspring.
“Globally, according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, overfishing and illegal trade have caused the world’s sharks and rays to face an unprecedented crisis, with over one third of species assessed now threatened by extinction,” it said.
The organisations said that while only a few sharks and rays in the online sale posts could be identified to species level, the study revealed that some belonged to highly threatened species.
“This includes the critically endangered wedgefish and endangered whiprays, traded within an online market worth over RM326mil (US$70mil).
“All identified shark species and nearly all ray species from the listing are native to Malaysian waters with none specifically protected under the Fisheries Act 1985.
“As Malaysia undertakes amendments to the Fisheries Act, expanding protection for endangered shark and ray species will be crucial to ensure their survival,” it read.
Traffic Southeast Asia programme manager Serene Chng who co-authored the study said the study found major gaps in traceability and seller accountability, with most online posts failing to state product origin.
“Traceability (tracking products from capture to final sale) is crucial to verify where, how and what species were caught, prevent illegal trade, and promoting sustainability.
“Strengthening monitoring and species identification through traceability systems like SharkTrace, which uses QR codes to track sharks and rays from capture to product, can help build a transparent and accountable trade while supporting stronger management and policy action.
WWF-Malaysia senior marine conservation officer and co-author Serena Adam said conserving sharks and rays are not just about saving species.
“It involves sustaining ocean health that benefits our coastal communities.”
