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THE EARLY FISHERIES ERA OF MALAYA
Historically, the Malay Peninsular was regarded by many Colonialists such as Dr. Albert W.C.T. Herre, an American Ichthyologist as the central station of the Indo-Pacific biological realm, and therefore a region extraordinarily rich in species of fishes. Nearly all the marine fishes found in the Red Sea and eastward through Polynesia, either live along the shores of the Malay Peninsular and its islands, or pass through the Straits of Malacca or the South China Sea during their migrations. Through later exploration, it was found that many marine fishes were abundant at the southern tip of Malaya. It was also noted by Dr. Herre that the Malay Peninsular was very rich in freshwater fishes, having attractive and the smaller ones, highly coloured, such as species of Cyprinidae, Labyrinth fishes and catfishes among others, occuring everywhere, lowlands and highlands, in rivers, streams, and in highland creeks.
By the frequent and extensive studies and explorations done by these Ichthyologists, about 1,000, possibly 1,500 species of the fish fauna of Malaya were to be recorded. The importance of preserving these species was recognised earlier. Another colonial exponent of fisheries was Mr. M.W.F. Tweedie. Such was the scenario of fisheries of Malaya in the earlier colonial times.
In those days, fish were taken alongside rice, not largely in terms of its nutritional value, but more as a cheap source of food, especially with regards to the Malays and Indians. The Chinese though appreciated the importance of fish in their diets. Fish was scarcely regarded as protein source to largely uneducated population at that time.
However, fishing in terms of administration and legislation became to take a footing as Malaya began to develop, and especially with the coming of the British to Malaya in late 19th. Century.
Fisheries administration started in 1894 with the setting up of the Fisheries Colonial Unit by the British Government, directly under the Office of the Under Secretary of the Straits Settlements. In 1904, a study on marine fishes was carried out along the west coast of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States, marking a significant step towards starting research in fisheries.
The Fisheries Ordinance was introduced in 1909 to regulate and control fishing activities, especially with the migration of people from Southern Thailand to settle and make a living in fishing in states such as Perlis, Kedah and Penang.
In 1915, a department responsible largely for fisheries matters was established, known as Fisheries Department and Museum, headed by H.C. Robinson. The directorship was followed subsequently by various European Colonialists.
In 1922, the Fisheries Department and Museum seperated, replaced by the Department of Fisheries of British-Malaya, situated in Singapore. Mr. David G. Stead became the Director. All these times, the fisheries activities were limited, confined to fishing along the coasts by small time fishermen, barely enough to make a living.
To initiate fishing activities in Malaya, a particular research and survey on marine fishes was carried out in 1922 in areas of Pulau Langkawi-Kuala Perlis employing the fishing vessel M.F.V. Shark.
In 1926 and 1927, one of the earliest marine fishery research and surveys done by the experimental trawler, S.T. Tongkol helped also in collecting fish specimens for the numerous colonial Ichthyologists doing research on marine and freshwater fishes abundant and very rich during those days.
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