| The Sunda Shelf area of the South China Sea is a productive demersal fishing ground, bordered by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Offshore exploitation did not begin until the late 1960s when introduction of new technology made it possible for the Republic of China (Taiwan province) to enter the area fisheries. The data from this Taiwanese trawl fishery forms the basis of this dissertation.; Using the data from 1970-1977, the objectives of this study were to (1) describe the demersal fish resources in the area; (2) determine effects of trawling on the highly mixed demersal fish community; (3) evaluate status of the stocks; and (4) make recommendations on management of the resources.; The demersal fish community is characterized by literally hundreds of species. The geographical distribution, seasonal and depth abundance of the following species were described: golden thread, big eye, goat fish, lizard fish, red snapper, blue-lined bream, large-eye bream, catfish, cuttle fish, squid, butter fish, hair tail, sea eel, and the pooled species complex. Bottom type seems to play the most significant role in determination of the distribution patterns of certain species.; Based on single species and pooled species estimation of population biomass and yields using surplus production and biomass estimation models, the total maximum standing stock (MSS) and the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all statistical regions of the Sunda Shelf are 4,362,000 mt and 1,950,000 mt respectively. The peak catch of 1,090,000 mt occurred in 1973. Since the catch was only 56% of MSY, there appears to be considerable room for further fisheries exploitation. This is especially true for the deep water zones which, traditionally, have not been intensively fished.; Based on correlation studies of species affinity groups and a two-species coupled model, it was estimated that MSY may be only 80% as high as MSYs determined by classical procedures mentioned above. Therefore, it is recommended that although a MSY of 1,950,000 metric tons may be set as a harvest guideline for the entire Sunda Shelf, the management sector should pay particular attention to the ipact of fishing when catch reaches 80% of MSY.; Finally, the study indicates that there is a fundamental lack of technical knowledge of the resources and a need for the neighboring countries to coordinate their management philosophies and activities. Information on status of stocks has been extracted from data collected from commercial fishing vessels; further and more extensive collection should be encouraged. This function can be performed effectively by coordination between national governments and the FAO South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme (SCSFDCP). The Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is viewed as an effective forum to promote exchange of fisheries information, technology and coordinated management of the Sunda Shelf resources. |
