Fisheries management paradigms and the Malaysian fisheries

The changes that have occurred in the fishery sector during the past two decades call for a reappraisal of the relevance of conventional fishery development and management strategies. Principal debates on fishery management policies arise from natural tensions between three differing fishery world views or paradigms, namely the conservation, rationalisation and social/community paradigms. Fisheries management policy in Malaysia is closer to the rationalisation and conservation paradigm than the social/community paradigm. A movement slightly closer to the social/community paradigm will involve greater shared responsibility and shared decision making between fishermen and government and thus provide an efficient mechanism for reducing conflicts between fishing groups and enhance greater compliance with fishery regulations. A shift from the highly centralized to a more regional based fishery management is seen as a first step to ensure an improved management of the fishery.