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Malaysia - Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Factsheet (WRI)

Malaysia - Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Factsheet (WRI)

The coast of Sibuan Island, located off of Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Mark McGinley The coast of Sibuan Island, located off of Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Mark McGinley
Published:
Updated: December 6, 2011, 10:52 am
Topics: Marine Ecology
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editors: Mark McGinley, C Michael Hogan

Introduction

Malaysia is situated in southeast Asia. It consists of two regions: Peninsular Malaysia in the west lying between Thailand and Singapore, and the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak located in the east on the island of Borneo. The two regions are separated by the South China Sea. The total land area of the country is 328 550 km². Malaysia is a federal country, divided into thirteen states plus the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan Island..

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives.Its mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.  WRI has created EarthTrends, an online collection of information regarding the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world. Committed to the principle that accurate information drives responsible decisions by governments and individuals, EarthTrends offers the public a large breadth of statistical, graphic, and analytical data in easily accessible formats. 

Factsheet

                                                                             MALAYSIA        ASIA (excl. Middle Eaast)    WORLD 

COASTAL STATISTICS, 2000

      
 Length of coastline {a} (km)    9,323  288,459  1,634,701
 Percent of population within 100 km of the coast   98%  X  39%
 Area of continental shelf (km2) {b}  335,914  5,514,288  24,285,959  
 Territorial sea (up to 12 nautical miles) (km2)    152,367  5,730,868  18,816,919
 Claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (km2)    198,173  11,844,193  102,108,403

 COASTAL BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECTED AREAS DATA, 1990s

      
 Area of Mangrove Forests (km2)    1,659  40,330  169,452
 Percent of Mangrove forests protected    7%  27%  13%
 Number of Mangrove Species    36  51  70
 Number of Seagrass Species   9  27  58
 Number of Scleractinia Coral Genera {c}  72  79   X
 International Legal Net Trade in Live Coral, 1997 (number of pieces) {d}    -130  -773,430   X
 Number of Marine or Littoral Protected  Areas  , 1999   111  831  3,636
 Wetlands of International Importance, Extent (km2), 2000   384  31,212  730,116

 FISHERIES PRODUCTION

      
  Average Annual Capture (excludes aquaculture) in metric tons:      
      Marine Fish, 2000    1,257,573  36,516,371  84,411,066
      Mulluscs and Crustaceans, 1997    187,864  7,959,125  12,055,801
  Aquaculture Production (in metric tons):      
      Total (includes freshwater), 2000    167,898  41,305,773  45,715,559
      Marine and Diadromous Fish, 1997    12,813  1,325,644  2,623,888
      Mulluscs and Crustaceans, 1997    70,244  8,677,590  9,889,688
      Aquatic Plants, 1997    X  7,123,694  7,241,754

 FISH CONSUMPTION AND TRADE, 2000

      
 Per Capita Food Supply from Fish and Fishery Products (kg/person)    58  18  16
 Fish Protein as a % of Total Protein Supply    21%  10%  6%
 Annual Trade in Fish and Fisheries Products Imports (thousand $US)    299,603  22,787,200  60,008,337
    percent change since 1980    319%  X  275%
 Exports ( $US)    199,001,000  16,839,046,000  54,570,489,000
    percent change since 1980    57%  403%  258%
 

FISHING EFFORT, BOTH FRESHWATER AND MARINE

      
 People Employed in Fishing and Aquaculture , 2000   100,666  28,890,352  36,116,329
 Docked Fishery Vessels, 1995-98 (number) {e}    17,272  1,080,625  1,297,017

References and Further Reading

See Also

  • Malaysia Geography Collection

Citation

World Resources Institute (Lead Author);Mark McGinley, C Michael Hogan (Topic Editor) "Malaysia - Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Factsheet (WRI)". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth October 14, 2009; Last revised Date December 6, 2011; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Malaysia_-_Coastal_and_Marine_Ecosystem_Factsheet_(WRI)>

The Author

World Resources Institute The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives. Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Because people are inspired by ideas, empowered by knowledge, and moved to change by greater understanding, WRI provides—and helps other institutions pro ... (Full Bio)

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