Recreational fishing, often known as angling, is a popular outdoor activity in Malaysia and has been promoted as a tourism sport in the country by Tourism Malaysia.
Malaysia’s tourism sector was severely impacted when the Covid-19 pandemic began during the first quarter of 2020. Consequently, it is likely that recreational fishing was also affected.
The imposed Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) at the beginning of the pandemic (in 2020) saw guidelines released by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia regarding recreational fishing, which explicitly targeted anglers. When the CMCO was extended, it was declared that recreational fishing was strictly prohibited.
Tourism and recreational fishing will undoubtedly recover, and researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have collaborated with Reefish and World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) to bring recreational fishing to a more wholesome and exciting level, while also contributing to science and sustainable development, based on the “build back better” concept.
Reefish is a locally owned, Sabah-based start-up which aims to provide access to anglers who want to elnd a hand to science and at the same time contribute towards sustainability of this popular recreational activity. The research collaboration is supported by funds channelled by WWF-Malaysia, a forefront civil society organisation (CSO).
“Sabah enjoyed a tremendous boom in the tourism sector prior to the pandemic and whilst we reaped the benefits, I began to wonder if the natural resources we rely on, to attract tourists, could be sustained for the long-term.
As such, I was looking for opportunities to enter in a tourism-related business that can create a win-win situation.
In this case, we would like to see a fishing tourism business thrive whilst ensuring that the natural resources that support it, the fish, will not be unsustainable levels and at the same time, not sacrifice the total experience of the angler.
It will, no doubt, be a challenge and we are lucky to found great partners (UMS and WWF-Malaysia) to help us in this endeavour.
If we succeed, we would have introduced a new responsible tourism product for Sabah and, hopefully, start a trend!” said Datuk Darrel Weber, Founder of Reefish at the launching ceremony of the project at UMS jetty on Thursday. The project’s website was also launched during the occasion, which can be accessed at www.reefish.net.
“Globally, the potential to expand and benefit from recreational fishing is plentiful as it stimulates a nation’s economic development in more than one way.
In this collaboration, we want to explore responsible recreational fishing as a potential Covid-19 blue recovery livelihood for local stakeholders.
We would like to develop sustainable opportunities in recreational fishing based on the build back better concept This concept is part of disaster management and importantly, promotes nature-based solutions to conserve biodiversity and restore ecosystem services,” said Dr Robecca Jumin, Head of Conservation Sabah, WWF-Malaysia.
The importance of science for sustainable blue foods - a collective term for aquatic foods such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed - has been catapulted into focus following the economic uncertainties in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic
Thus, a blue economy will help Sabah meet its sustainable development goals, particularly in fisheries (fish and seafood production) and marine tourism.
“Our focus will be on marine anglers. The research will take on multiple approaches in our profiling of the recreational fishery, from appraising the status of recreational fishing in Sabah to addressing the issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing contributed by angling activities.
One approach is through engaging citizen scientists for their input,” said Dr Mabel Manjaji Matsumoto, the project’s Lead Researcher, who is an Associate Professor at the Borneo Marine Research Institute UMS.
Darrel elaborates the project’s website is created to promote responsible angling and to create an avenue for anglers to record their memorable experience by uploading footages which at the same time contribute to citizen science efforts. The footages will be collated as information and passed on to UMS fisheries scientists to be analysed
Also present at the launching ceremony was Dr Zarinah Waheed, Deputy Director (Academic and International) of the Borneo Marine Research Institute and representing its Director, Associate Professor Dr Sitti Rahehana Muhamad Shaleh, who quipped, “I applaud this commendable research project, especially at a time when there is worldwide concern on marine conservation and our government is striving to ensure seafood sustainability