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Population declines of large fish stocks in Sabah, East Malaysia
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All of the big fish species are disappearing from the reefs in Sabah. A 99% fall in numbers compared to similar but unfished reefs is very serious overfishing. These fish stock will not recover unless serious action is taken. |
POPULATION DECLINES IN LARGE FISH STOCKS ON FISHED REEFS IN SABAH
| FISH SPECIES | COMMON NAME | % DECLINE IN POPULATION | |
| Cephalopholis argus | Peacock grouper | 97.09% | |
| Cephalopholis miniata | Coral grouper | 99.50% | |
| Epinephelus polyphekadio | Camouflage grouper | 99.25% | |
| Plectropomus leopardus | Leopard grouper | } | |
| Plectropomus laevis | Saddleback grouper | } | 97.26% |
| Plectropomus areolatus | Squaretail coral trout | } | |
| Lethrinus olivaceus | Longnose emperor | 100.00% | |
| Macolor niger | Black snapper | } | 97.54% |
| Macolor macularis | Midnight snapper | } | |
| All Plectrorhincus species | Sweetlips | 92.39% | |
| Monotaxis grandoculis | Big eye emperor | 95.63% | |
| Lutjanus bohar | Red bass | 98.09% | |
| Cheilinus undulatus | Humphead wrasse | 99.91% | |
| Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus | Yellowmargin / Pink face triggerfish | 100.00% | |
| Balistoides viridescens | Titan triggerfish | 99.69% |
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With this level of overfishing for the largest fish species it is not surprising that fisheries in Sabah have fallen by 74% over the last 20 years. Click here to see areas surveyed. |
FISH POPULATIONS AROUND SABAH
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|POPULATION DECLINES IN LARGE FISH STOCKS| |GROUPER SIZES IN AREAS WITH AND WITHOUT FISHING| |CYANIDE FISHING| |BLAST FISHING|
