Stock identification of Kawakawa Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849) from Peninsular Malaysia using discriminant analysis

Small epipelagic and migratory, Eutynnus affinis (kawakawa) is one of the commercially significant tunas of Indo-Pacific’s tropical and subtropical waters. Consequently, successful management must ensure its sustainability. Unfortunately, the management and stock structure of certain migratory species in the area are not clear. The current study aimed to discriminate the E. affinis through body shape variations and to evaluate the variations among seven populations of E. affinis. A total of 114 individuals of E. affinis collected from two main geographic area, Straits of Malacca and South China Sea. Multivariate analyses, such as discriminant function analyses (DFA) of 12 morphometric characters was carried out to discriminate seven populations of E. affinis. The results revealed there is a significant variation among the body shape and seven populations of E. affinis. The average shapes of populations from Terengganu, Kelantan, and Johor were approximately similar to each other. In contrast, the average shapes of populations from Selangor were separated. This present study is the first report using morphometric method conducted on E. affinis from Peninsular Malaysian waters.

Bioeconomic Approach for Assessing Status of Trawl Fishery in the Straits of Malacca

The Straits of Malacca provides half of Malaysia’s total marine fish and seafood supply. Due to depleted fish stock, the Malaysian Government has established a comprehensive legal framework to reduce overfishing in the Straits over the last five decades. However, there are limited scientific studies on the current status of stock recovery. This paper aims to use bioeconomic approach to determine the current trawl fishery status in the Straits. Various statistical tests showed that the Clarke-Yoshimoto-Pooley model was better than the Schnute model in predicting and thus used to estimate the crucial bioeconomic parameters. The current yield and standardised effort of 239,692 tonnes and 931,692 standard fishing days were very close to the estimated biological maximum sustainable yield (239,915 tonnes) and above 18 % of the standardised effort (763,649 standard fishing days) to achieve it. The maximum economic yield was estimated at 201,542 tonnes while the corresponding standardised effort was 396,799 standard fishing days indicating serious economic overfishing in the Straits. If the current effort can be reduced by 57 %, fish biomass and economic rent will increase by 97 % and 835 %, respectively. A price sensitivity analysis predicted that demand-pull fish price inflation could exacerbate the overfishing problem, particularly under unrestrained environment. A 50 % increase in price could lead to a 132 % increase in fishing effort from the base case. The findings of this paper provide valuable insights for fishery managers to refine their existing fishery management program to achieve sustainable fishery for the future.

Goodbye on the Seas: Rising Waters, Submerging Lives

This hybrid memoir begins and ends with a sea journey. Combining real-life story and dystopian tropical imaginary, the author takes us to the Straits of Malacca off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia, to futures of submerged cities in 2050, and on a final journey into the South China Sea off the coast of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. This is a story of climate change and rising seas entwining vignettes of pandemic lockdown, of a father’s dying, and the author’s future life submerged. It questions human survival in a world of demise, shaped by pandemic and surrounded by waters slowly but inexorably rising.

Energy strategies of China and their impacts on energy shipping import through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore

PurposeThis study aims at investigating how energy strategies of China impact its energy shipping import through a strategic maritime link, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS).Design/methodology/approachVector error-correction modelling (VECM) is applied to examine the key energy strategies of China influencing crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping import via the SOMS. Strategies investigated include oil storage expansions, government-setting targets to motivate domestic gas production, pipeline projects to diversify natural gas import routes and commercial strategies to ensure oil and gas accessibility and cost-effectiveness.FindingsFor the crude oil sector, building up oil storage and diversifying oil import means, routes and sources were found effective to mitigate impacts of consumption surges and price shocks. For the LNG sector, domestic production expansion effectively reduces LNG import. However, pipeline gas import growth is inefficient to relieve LNG shipping import dependency. Furthermore, energy companies have limited flexibility to adjust LNG shipping import volumes via the SOMS even under increased import prices and transport costs.Practical implicationsAs the natural gas demand of China continues expanding, utilisation rates of existing pipeline networks need to be enhanced. Besides, domestic production expansion and diversification of LNG import sources and means are crucial.Originality/valueThis study is among the first in the literature using a quantitative approach to investigate how energy strategies implemented in a nation impact its energy shipping volumes via the SOMS, which is one of the most important maritime links that support 40% of the global trades.

SITUS PANTAI LHOK CUT DAN LUBUK SEBAGAI PELABUHAN KOSMOPOLITAN DI SELAT MALAKA ABAD KE 13—15

Abstrack. Sites Lhok Cut and Lubuk Coast as a Cosmopolitants Port in The Malacca Strait 13-15 th Century. The maritime territory of Indonesia provides a lot of data on ancient ports along its coast. This paper discusses Ssites Lhok Cut and Lubuk Coast, in the Lamreh coast region, Aceh Besar, as an example of a cosmopolitan port around the Straits of Malacca in the 13-15th century. The Malacca Strait since the beginning of our era was a busy international shipping lane connecting India and China. Long-distance trade shipping activities between the western and eastern hemispheres have led to the emergence of ports both on the coast of the country of origin, destination, and also on the coast between the country of origin and the destination of commercial shipping.