Path to sustainable trawl fishery in Southeast Asia

Trawl fishing constitutes an important part of the marine fisheries sector in SE Asia. It provides livelihoods and food for millions of people in coastal communities as well as feed for the region’s growing aquaculture... [ view full abstract ]

Trawl fishing constitutes an important part of the marine fisheries sector in SE Asia. It provides livelihoods and food for millions of people in coastal communities as well as feed for the region’s growing aquaculture sector. Trawl fisheries, as all nearshore fisheries in the region, are poorly managed and reported in terms of effort and catch, and are characterized by overcapacity and low profitability. The decreasing average size of landed fish, increasing share of low-value species in catches, declining cpue, and serious user conflicts reflect the excessive fishing effort and poor resource utilization patterns. The high diversity of fisheries and species composition, and the poor enforcement capacity, makes management extremely challenging.  Addressing the management problems of these fisheries needs to take into account the poverty and food security context as well as the complex cultural and institutional features in the region. Key characteristics of SE Asian trawl fisheries are described and the fundamental barriers are addressed to improve trawl fisheries management in the region. The best management practices are identified and recommendations are provided to achieve more sustainable fisheries. Policy and institutional changes are inherently time-consuming in the SE Asian context. A participatory approach is recommended noting that simple, robust and easily enforced measures are likely to work best in such a complex environment.  Finally, its is stressed that all key fisheries must be managed; management of trawl fishing only will not enable a sustainable nearshore fishery in the region.