Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia's Department of Fisheries (DOF) has affirmed that it will continue implementing its fishing vessel licensing system as a key management measure to control fishing capacity, ensure the sustainable use of marine fisheries resources, and protect the livelihoods of fishing communities.
As reported by the country’s national news agency Bernama, its director-general Adnan Hussain said it is in line with the Fisheries Act 1985 (Act 317) and the Fisheries Regulations (Marine) (Licensing of Local Fishing Vessels) 1985.
"This approach aims to control the fishing capacity so that the country's fishery resources are continuously preserved and can be utilised sustainably," he said in a recent statement.
Based on DOF data, a total of 16,894 fishing vessels were recorded nationwide last year, and the results of the fishery resource assessment study conducted from 2013 to 2016 showed that the biomass of the country's fish stocks has only remained between 16 to 48% compared to the original stocks in the 1960s.
Adnan said that the findings are among the foundations for the implementation of continuous fisheries resource management measures.
According to him, licensing management is not just an administrative process, but rather part of the effort to ensure that fishing activities can continue responsibly without compromising the sustainability of resources.
He said the DOF also continuously evaluates the implementation of the licensing system to ensure it meets the current needs of the fishing sector and provides opportunities for individuals who are truly qualified and depend on the sector as their main source of income.
For fishermen who do not yet have a licence, the DOF provides opportunities through the Regularisation Programme, which is implemented from time to time to fill the vacancies of cancelled licences./.
Malaysia highlights importance of ethical journalism in AI era
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the importance of ethnical journalism in artificial intelligence (AI) era while addressing the Malaysia Journalism Night 2026 and the MPI-PETRONAS Malaysian Journalism Awards 2025 held in Kuala Lumpur on July 17.
