Impact of climate change on fisheries and opportunities for adaptation in Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

Climate changes significantly threaten biodiversity and ecosystems by disrupting important marine fisheries, a critical food supply and source of income for the coastal community. In the Malaysian context, study on the adaptation and management at the level of fisheries, communities, and households based on evidence from impact on fishery resources and socioeconomic vulnerability are still scarcened. The objectives of this study is to investigate the impact climate change on the fishery resources and distribution, its impact of socioeconomic vulnerability as well as to explore the fisheries specific adaptation practices and managements. This is a mixed-mode cross- sectional study involve both survey and focus group discussions (FDG). The fish samplings were conducted in Port Klang, Selangor, covering the mangrove, estuary and open sea. The survey was conducted at the fishing community in Selangor coastal areas. FDGs were performed involving community and government stakeholders. Results shows, species diversity is the lowest in the mangrove area and the highest in the open sea. The length-weight analysis on 12 species indicated that three species (A. maculatus, A. chacunda and S. argus) have allometric growth patterns with mean condition factors above one (K>1), except for Fulton’s condition factor of A. maculatus. Three species in this study were classified as threatened as per IUCN red list status, E. tetradactylum (Endangered), Telatrygon zugei (Vulnerable) and Pampus argenteus (Vulnerable), but the 2022-2030 forecasts showed that these species would increase gradually in the coming years. The vulnerability of fisheries community in Selangor is 0.088 with adaptive capacity showed higher value than exposure and sensitivity. The community perceived the adaption and management should focus on the production ecology, communication and livelihoods, fishing operations, opinions on environmental issues, and information on climate and environmental issues. The impacts of extreme climate events were on the biological and physical (effects of pressure perceived on fish production, distribution of fish due to climate conditions) as well as on socioeconomic (damage to the local facilities and infrastructure and damage to the fishing facilities). The adaptation identified in this study focused on actions taken during a disaster, alternative job and side income, decision-making when climate change affects job and livelihood, education, enforcement action, establish a committee to promote fishery, fishing schedule and potential solutions of the problems. The stakeholders suggested financial counsellors may play important role to advice the financial issues, increasing facilities at the fishing port to boost income generation, and implementing a fishing schedule to avoid overexploitation. This underlines the necessity of raising public and governmental stakeholders’ awareness of the effects of climate change and creating a strong political, legal, financial, and social infrastructure within which the available information, tools, and methods can be put to use practically in implementing adaptation and management of fisheries to climate change in term of marine biodiversity and seafood security.