Aquatic resources

The marine fisheries sector in Malaysia contributes significantly to the national economy in terms of income, foreign exchange and employment. In 1999, marine fisheries contributed 1.245 million t (90% of total fish production) valued at US$1.18 billion. The total value accounted for about 1.53% of national GDP and 11.31% of agricultural GDP. The export of fish and fishery products amounted to about US$210 million. The sector provided employment to about 80 000 fishers. Fisheries management is currently guided by the Third National Agricultural Policy (NAP3 1998 - 2010).

There is great impetus among phytochemists to develop molluscicides which are lethal to the snail intermediate hosts of bilharzia. They search for plant-derived, water-soluble compounds that are cheap to isolate, specific to target animals, easily biodegradable, non-toxic to other biota and to which snails are unlikely to become resistant. This paper reports on some medicinal plants from Malawi that have been studied in the hope of isolating compounds for the control of bilharzia.

A trophic model of the marine fisheries resources of the north coast of Central Java, Indonesia was constructed using the Ecopath with Ecosim software and data from a trawl survey conducted in the area in 1979. The model consists of 27 ecological groups with a mean trophic level of 3.04. The exploited fishery was then a moderately mature and relatively stable system. The impact of the fishery at the time was low to moderate in comparison with the fisheries in other systems and notably in later time periods.

Marine fisheries production in India has increased from 0.5 million t in 1950 to 2.47 million t in 1997. The gross value of fisheries landings in India was US$2.37 billion in 1997. The contribution of fisheries to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has risen from 0.7% in 1980 - 81 to 1.2% in 1994 - 95. The contribution to agricultural GDP has risen from 1.9% to 4%. Fisheries production also plays a critical role in food security and livelihood in rural areas.

We evaluate the current status of the global marine fisheries using the frameworks of conflict, food security and vulnerability. Existing trends suggest that there is likely to be greater food insecurity and fisheries conflicts due to issues such as: declining fishery resources; a North–South divide in investment; changing consumption patterns; increasing reliance on fishery resources for coastal communities; and inescapable poverty traps creating by low net resource productivity and few alternatives.

The fisheries sector of Vietnam plays an important role in the social and economic development of the country. The sector contributes about 3% of the GDP and fish contributes about 40% of animal protein consumption in the country. In 1999, total fisheries production amounted to 1.8 million t. Of this, 1.2 million t was derived from marine capture fisheries and 0.6 million t from aquaculture. Fish exports were valued at US$971.12 million in the same year. Vietnam’s marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture have further potential for development.

Cambodia’s recent freshwater fishery sector reform, instigated at the top level of government, is one of the country’s most significant contemporary policy developments addressing natural resources management and rural development. Implemented in two main waves, the reforms culminated in the complete removal of inland commercial fishing lots. Yet serious problems still need to be addressed, including reportedly widespread illegal fishing, difficulties in protecting critical habitats, and competition among state agencies over resource management authority.

The Mekong is an exceptional river in many ways. In terms of fish biodiversity, it is the world’s second richest river after the Amazon (www.fishbase. org). With 6 to 18% of the global freshwater fish catch, it is also home to the largest freshwater fisheries in the world. The productive Mekong fisheries are essential to the food security of the 60 million people of the Lower Mekong Basin. Fish contributes 81% of the population’s protein intake in Cambodia and 48% in Laos. Mekong inland fisheries also provide employment to 1.6 of the 14 million Cambodians.

This article is based on an interview with Dr Shehadeh by Bernie Quimpo, editor and publisher of Farming Today. The interview appeared in the November 1979 issue of that journal.

The Barotse floodplain is an ecosystem characterized by a paradox of widespread poverty amidst high ecological and agricultural potential. The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) seeks to address this paradox on the assumption that the rural poor have the potential to transform their lives using the aquatic resources in their environment. Understanding the conditions for natural resources use and management is critical for a program that seeks to transform the livelihoods of households dependent on natural resources.