Monitoring and Assessment of Deep Sea Fisheries
Following the first deep sea survey by R.V. RASTRELLIGER, which ended in 1987, development of the Malaysian deep sea fisheries expanded into new fishing grounds.  The fishing industry saw the expansion of the pelagic and demersal fisheries as well the tuna fisheries in the South China Sea off Sabah, Sarawak and the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. 

To support further development, exploratory resource studies are continuously being conducted to obtain information on new fisheries resources and fishing grounds.  Monitoring of the status of the deep sea fisheries by the use of research vessels like K.K. MANCHONG are being undertaken annually and the performance of the commercial trawlers and purse seiners are closely monitored.

Research on Tuna Resources
In Malaysia, the tuna resources have yet to be fully exploited.  This fishery however, has expanded beyond traditional fishing grounds into areas further offshore with the use of larger commercial scale fishing vessels.  The development of this fishery, mainly operating purse seines depends on the use of fish aggregating devices in the more oceanic waters, particularly off the coasts of Sabah and Sarawak.  Monitoring of the catches of these commercial fishing vessels coupled with the collection of biological information on the neretic and oceanic tuna species are being undertaken nationally as well as in cooperation with neighbouring countries, so as to provide information for the rational development and proper exploitation of these valuable tuna resources.

Fisheries Hydroacoustics and Oceanography

Fisheries hydroacoustic studies and fisheries oceanography studies are conducted annually by the use of the training-cum-research vessels of the Department of Fisheries Malaysia - K.L. PAUS and K.L CERMIN.  The hydroacoustic studies aim at providing biomass estimates for pelagic and semi-pelagic fisheries resources while the fisheries oceanographic studies seek to determine the relationship between certain physico-chemical and environmental parameters with the distribution and seasonal movement of the fish resources.