Implementation Status of the Research Components (March - August 2002)

Component 1 - Profile of Key Aquaculture Technologies and Fishing Practices

Malaysia

Freshwater Aquaculture

Tilapia (red, black, and Mozambique) is the primary freshwater species in Malaysia contributing about 36% of the total freshwater production in the country during 2000. Other dominant species include catfish (torpedo-shaped, pangas, Asian red tail) and carps (bighead, common carp, grass carp and Thai silver barb), accounting for 24% and 8% of total freshwater aquaculture production, respectively.

Malaysia has used only 6% of its potential freshwater resources for aquaculture. Table 6 presents the geographical distribution of freshwater farm areas as well as potential unfarmed areas by state. Perak, Sabah and Pahang account for more than two-thirds of freshwater farms. The east coast states of Sabah and Sarawak have almost 50% of the total water area available for freshwater aquaculture.

The adoption rate of key aquaculture technologies is measured as the ratio of percentage area used to the potential area available for fish culture (Table 7). Marine finfish culture in cages and freshwater fish culture in ponds have the highest adoption pattern.

Brackish-water/marine aquaculture.

Production from brackish and marine culture in 2000 was 117 206 t, valued at US$176.95 million. This comprises about 70% of total aquaculture production with a total farmed area of 15 197 ha, which includes ponds (7 151 ha), cages (85 ha), on bottom (7 129 ha), raft (474 ha) and seaweed (815 ha). The main species groups are shrimp (Penaeus monodon and P. merguiensis), finfish (seabass, red snapper and grouper), ornamental fish and mollusks - cockles, mussels and oysters.

Shrimp is predominantly cultured in ponds in coastal areas. The pond size ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 ha each with outlets for water exchange. The price of tiger shrimps varies from US$4.74 to US$7.89 per kg depending on size, form (i.e. whether live or dead) and the time of sale. Production costs fluctuate widely, between US$2.82 and US$4.28 per kg. Productivity from these farms ranges from 7 to 18 t.ha^-1.year^-1. Investments for these farms ranges between US$11 053 and US$28 947 per ha.

Finfish culture such as seabass, grouper and snappers is usually carried out in floating net-cages anchored in sheltered coastal waters. Most of the floating cages are traditional in design, measuring 6m X 6m in size. Some marine finfish culture is also carried out in brackish-water ponds. Enclosed pens are being introduced in east coast states such as Terengganu and Kelantan. Almost all farm operators use trash fish and very few use pelleted feed. A recent cost and return survey conducted on four marine finfish cages of various sizes in Malaysia (Johor and Penang states) shows the prices for snapper and seabass to be US$4.00 per kg while the price of grouper varies from US$7.89 to US$9.21 per kg. The production cost was between US$3.47 and US$4.56 per kg both for seabass and grouper. The productivity for these farms ranges from 179 to 253 t.ha^-1.year^-1. There is a great difference in the investment costs of these farms, ranging from US$11 579 to US$131 053 depending on the size of operation and the ownership (i.e. whether it is first ownership or second ownership).

Capture fisheries

Marine capture fisheries accounted for 91% of total production in 1999, of which inshore production was 89%. The main species caught are India mackerel (8%), prawn (7%), squids (5%), round scad (4%), tuna (4%), yellow-stripped trevally (3%) and threadfin bream (3%).

The types of gear used for marine capture fisheries in Malaysia are grouped mainly into commercial gear such as trawlers and purse seiners, and traditional gear such as drift/gill nets, hooks and lines and portable traps. The fishing gear groups can also be categorized based on engine power and vessel tonnage. Those non-powered, outboard powered or inboard powered boats of less than 40 gross registered tonnage (GRT) are considered small-scale and operate in areas 5 nautical miles (nm) from the shore and beyond. The medium-scale vessels comprise those with inboard powered vessels from 40 to less than 70 GRT and operate 12 nm from the shore or beyond. The large-scale, deep-sea commercial fishing vessels are those with inboard powered vessels of more than 70 GRT and operate beyond 30 nm from the shore as far as the outer limits of the Malaysian EEZ. The drift/gill nets have the lowest catch per vessel accounting for 86 937 t, even though this gear is the most numerous (17 299 vessels). The trawlers have the highest catch per vessel (681 223 t) among all main gear groups, followed by the purse seiners (217 872 t). Commercial gear is far more productive than traditional fishing gear in Malaysia.

The net profit from purse seiners is the highest (US$97 780), followed by small and medium-scale trawlers (US$37 178 and US$7 889, respectively), portable traps (US$31 907), drift/gill nets (US$14 116) and hook and line (US$16 459). For all the main gear groups in Peninsular Malaysia, labour cost is the main component that constitutes more than 50% of the variable costs, and for deep-sea purse seiners the labour cost is more than 80% of the variable cost. The deep-sea trawlers have the highest fuel costs followed by deep-sea purse seiners. The cost of ice is the highest for deep-sea purse seiners.