The place of artificial reefs in the lives of small-scale fishers in Terengganu, Malaysia

Mainly deployed with the objective of enhancing fisheries resources, artificial reefs began to gain scientific attention in the 1970s. They continue to be a popular agenda in fisheries management, largely due to their potential in improving the lives of coastal communities. Current performance evaluations of artificial reefs, however, continue to focus more on reef effects on the biology and fishing gain of the area where they are deployed. This is despite repeated calls to expand the performance evaluation to include input from artificial reefs users. This thesis examines the dimensions of small-scale fisher- folks' relations with artificial reefs in Terengganu, Malaysia. Using the livelihood approach, the research focuses on non bio-economics data and explores the "currently ignored" domains of artificial reefs to examine the various components of small-scale fishers' livelihood-making. It reveals important insights of the social, cultural, economic, political and ecological changes that have been affected by artificial reef programmes from the perspectives of fishing communities. Based on the results of in-depth interviews carried out in Setiu, Terengganu, it is concluded that although artificial reefs are perceived to enhance local fisheries resources, small-scale fisher-folks' opportunity to benefit from them depends much on how artificial reefs fit into these fishers' fishing strategies, which are strongly related to their livelihood assets, particularly their social and human capitals. Furthermore, artificial reefs' impacts on Setiu small-scale fishers' livelihood are related to their effect on illegal commercial fishery in the area, where although their presence do deter trawl fishery, artificial reefs are paradoxically an ideal fishing site for purse seine fishery. By exploring these various human dimensions of artificial reefs, the thesis offers a broader perspective on the evaluation of this complex marine phenomenon

Changing trends and perceptions of sea turtle egg consumption in redang island, Malaysia

Sea turtles have been exploited at unsustainable rates globally. In Malaysia, their populations have faced serious declines because of diverse anthropogenic stressors including turtle egg consumption. Redang Island, off the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is an important rookery for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Southeast Asia. The local community has depended on turtle eggs as a food and livelihood source for decades. Owing to the precipitous decline in sea turtles, the main nesting beaches became legally protected in 2007. Some turtle egg consumption continues despite the protection measures and long-term awareness raising. In our study, we assess the prevalence, motivations, demographic factors, and perceptions influencing turtle egg consumption and conservation. Through semi-structured interviews, we surveyed 73 respondents in Redang village. The interviews show that turtle egg consumption has decreased since the initiation of protection measures, making the eggs expensive and difficult to access. Using binary logistic regression, we found that the respondents’ education level and occupation were significant predictors. Education level was negatively correlated with age. People with higher levels of education (younger people) were less likely to eat turtle eggs, possibly on account of changing cultural beliefs and taste preferences, as well as increasing awareness. Those working in the tourism industry were less likely to consume eggs. The growth in tourism has served as an alternative to livelihoods that were dependent on the consumptive use of natural resources such as fishing and turtle egg collection. Further, tourism has catalyzed a shift from consumptive to non-consumptive uses of sea turtles. Many locals perceived the protection of beaches as important, without which they claimed that turtle populations would go extinct. This research shows that addressing sea turtle conservation requires a multi-targeted approach of regulating sea turtle egg collection, providing economic alternatives such as tourism and long-term awareness raising.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Conservation and consumption of sea turtle eggs in Redang Island, Peninsular Malaysia

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Conservation and consumption of sea turtle eggs in Redang Island, Peninsular Malaysia

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Dataset of microplastics in the mangrove brachyuran crabs at Setiu Wetlands, Peninsular Malaysia

The present dataset provides information on the abundance of microplastics (MPs) in relation to different feeding habits of the four mangrove brachyuran crab species namely, Parasesarma eumolpe, Austruca annulipes, Metaplax elegans and Scylla olivacea at Setiu Wetlands in Peninsular Malaysia. Three sites namely, Pulau Layat (upstream, close to the core mangrove zone), Kampung Pengkalan Gelap (midstream, close to the settlements), and Pulau Sutung (downstream, close to the shifted river mouth) were chosen for the sample collection (through hand catch method and traps) in both the dry (Feb-Mar 2021) and the wet (Dec 2021 - Jan 2022) seasons. The cardiac stomach of each crab was dissected, digested in potassium hydroxide and then filtered through a 1.6 µm pore size glass fibre filter using the vacuum pump. The abundance, type and colour of MPs per crab individual were determined under a stereomicroscope (Carl Zeiss Stemi 508, China) attached to the digital camera (Axiocam 208 colour). The general abundance of MPs was found in the order of carnivorous S. olivacea > microphytobenthos feeder A. annulipes > herbivorous P. eumolpe > detritivorous M. elegans. The data also reveal morphometric measurements such as body weight, gut weight, carapace width and carapace length of the crab specimens. The information given in this article is useful for study replications and scientific comparisons, especially with brachyuran crabs and other organisms with similar feeding guilds, in the mangroves of Malaysia and elsewhere

A checklist of vascular plants and uses of some species for livelihood-making in Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu, Malaysia

The Setiu Wetlands, a unique area with nine interconnected habitats, comprises a considerable fraction of the total Peninsular Malaysia’s wetland flora. Although botanical collecting in the area has been active in the past 10 years, only a few studies dealing with the wetland flora have been published. Thus, a detailed checklist of this area is urgently needed to ensure the continuity of its inter-relating flora and fauna, as well as the livelihood of the local people. In this work we conducted a survey of the vascular plant flora of Setiu Wetlands and investigated the most important plants used by the local communities. Our checklist accounts for 406 taxa from 277 genera and 106 families, including 24 (6%) species of ferns and lycophytes, three gymnosperms, 257 (64%) dicotyledons and 122 (30%) monocotyledons. This comprehensive plant checklist will be a primary reference for the management of the newly gazetted Setiu Wetlands State Park covering more than 400 hectares of lands and water bodies