JEAIL > Volume 12(2); 2019 > East Asian Observer
Research Paper
Published online: November 30, 2019
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2019.12.2.09

Malaysian Efforts in Combating IUU Fishing: A Legal and Policy Review

Farahdilah Ghazali & Wan Izatul Talaat & Ashraf Rahman & Hazmi Rusli
Institute of Oceanography and Environment, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Corresponding Author: wia@umt.edu.my

ⓒ Copyright YIJUN Institute of International Law
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing may occur on the high seas or within a national jurisdiction. Several factors were identified as contributing to the occurrence of IUU fishing activities, among which is poor governance marked by limited and overlapping enforcement by related authorities. With very limited regional enforcement bodies and the absence of a regional multilateral agreement, IUU fishing is difficult to overcome. It means that issues relating to overfishing and other fishing conflicts like foreign vessels intrusions and use of illegal fishing methods will continue to be a problem. This paper identifies the Malaysia’s legal framework governing IUU fishing, as well as relevant international and regional laws and policies. The paper also discusses the devastating effects of IUU fishing to the global fish stocks and national economy. Although the existing framework is considered comprehensive, it recommends further stringent and fair law enforcement to combat IUU fishing in Malaysia’s waters.

Keywords : Ocean Governance, Sustainability, Biodiversity, Fisheries Crime, Malaysia

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