Decline of demersal coastal fisheries resources in three developing Asian countries

Abstract

Worldwide, there is serious concern about the state of fisheries; yet for Asia, which accounts for half of the global fisheries production, information on the state of fisheries in order to guide management is sparse. In this paper we review the results of a regional study that examined the state of demersal fisheries resources in the coastal areas of Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. In each country time series of scientific trawl survey data (spanning 12–49 years, depending on the area) were used to assess changes in the total biomass of demersal species over time. All countries showed substantial declines in the total biomass.