PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia’s fish populations plummet, experts warn that some of the most familiar species could face local extinction within decades, but that timely action could still reverse the trend.
Marine life expert Dr Syafiq Musa said species such as snappers (ikan merah), trevally (ikan talang), Spanish mackerel (ikan tenggiri) and sea bream remain available in markets, but in far lower numbers than before.
“Several of these fish species in Malaysian waters face a genuine risk of local extinction if current trends persist. Populations have declined significantly – in some cases by up to 90% over the past decades,” he said.
Shrinking catches are a key warning sign, he noted.
“Spanish mackerel are still caught, but large, mature individuals are nearly gone, indicating heavy fishing pressure,” said the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer.
He said snappers are now considered overexploited along the coast, large schools of trevally are becoming rare and sea bream populations are declining due to the loss of seagrass beds and mangroves.
Other species face even greater stress, he said, noting that parrotfish (ikan kakatua) are falling victim to coral reef degradation, groupers (ikan kerapu) are increasingly caught as juveniles and large Malaysian stingrays (ikan pari) are rarely seen due to coastal trawling.
“These species grow slowly and produce few offspring, so once numbers fall, recovery is very slow,” he said.
Reversing decades of decline, Syafiq explained, requires stronger science-based interventions, particularly in regulating fishing pressure and protecting critical habitats.
Overfishing, habitat destruction and climate impacts were among the reasons identified, he said.
“The focus now must be on reducing these pressures in a meaningful and sustained way,” he added.
Among the most urgent measures is expanding and properly enforcing marine protected areas, especially in key breeding and nursery zones such as coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.
“These areas act as safe havens for fish to reproduce and grow.
“Without protecting these habitats, population recovery will be extremely limited,” he said.
Addressing juvenile fishing – often described as “harvesting the future” – Syafiq said enforcing minimum catch sizes and protecting spawning seasons can ensure fish reproduce before being harvested.
“For species like groupers, snappers and Spanish mackerel, catching them before maturity disrupts the entire reproductive cycle,” he added.
Marine scientist Alvin Chelliah from Reef Check Malaysia said improving fishing practices must go hand-in-hand with industry reform.
“One long-term solution is moving towards full-cycle aquaculture, where fish are bred in captivity instead of relying on wild-caught juveniles.
“This reduces pressure on natural populations while still meeting market demand,” he said.
