Borneo Journal of Marine Science and Aquaculture (BJoMSA)

After Two Decades of Halal Consumer Research: Is There a Future for Aquaculture Discipline?

Hasri Mustafa*, Aidi Ahmi — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

This paper aims to understand how scholarly research shaped the aquaculture field since the early 2000s, by taking into consideration the academic literature on halal consumers. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of halal consumer to the aquaculture research discipline by examining the types of documents, style of language used, subject areas, most-cited authors, papers and authors’ keywords to draw a general picture of the field. Our results showed that the halal consumer research has been largely designed based on business, management, and accounting disciplines. Nevertheless, since 2019 these disciplines were approaching their maximum limit as evidenced from our findings. Thus, as the field of halal consumer research in these disciplines are ‘matured’, we view the next most influenced subject areas, the disciplines of agricultural and biological sciences, as the future potential winners in the halal consumer research. Our bibliometrics sets a baseline that will enable scholars to foresee how the field of aquaculture research and halal consumer could directly inform each other in establishing a new area of halal consumer-aquaculture research.

Supplementation of Kappaphycus alvarezii Solid Waste (Bioethanol Production) in Fish Feed for Barbonymus schwanenfeldii Growth

Vi-Sion Chang, Regina Zhi-Ling Leong, Lai-Huat Lim, Swee-Sen Teo* — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a renewable resource rich in dietary sources such as vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and trace minerals. The solid waste of this marine macroalgae produced from bioethanol production was used to produce fish feed. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of K. alvarezii fish feed in Barbonymus schwanenfeldii fish growth. The proximate analysis, micro and macronutrient and mycotoxin in the K. alvarezii fish feed were determined using a standard protocol. For the fish culture design, fish were randomly divided into two groups: group I – feed with commercial fish feed (control); group II – feed with K. alvarezii fish feed (experimental group). The initial body weight of the fish was recorded, and thereafter weekly for 12 weeks. Proximate analysis indicated that the dried K. alvarezii fish feed is high in nitrogen (46.30+0.1%) and low in moisture (6.40+0.1%), ash (4.50+0.1%) and fiber (4.75+0.1%) contents, while rich in macro and micronutrients. There was no mycotoxin found in the K. alvarezii fish feed. For the 12 weeks of the feeding of commercial and K. alvarezii fish feed, our results did not show any significant difference (P > 0.05) in the B. schwanenfeldii specific growth rate between the groups, 0.36+0.03% in the control group and 0.34+0.02% in the experimental group, respectively. Proximate analysis of the B. schwanenfeldii fish, indicated a moisture content of 19.20+0.1%, crude extract protein of 74.70+0.1% and crude lipid of 3.50+0.1% in the control group, which are significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the experimental group [moisture content (15.60+0.1%), crude extract protein (70.00+0.1%) and crude lipid (2.60+0.1%)]. Although the proximate analysis in the control group is significantly higher than the experimental group, the use of K. alvarezii as fish feed supplement is still a good option as it utilizes the waste of K. alvarezii and can support towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production.

Bycatch Estimates of Dugongs and Dolphins: Results from an Interview Survey of Fishermen in Brunei Bay, Malaysia

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Bycatch refers to the unintentional capture of non-targeted animals during fishing activities. Worldwide, bycatch poses a significant threat to marine mammal species. In the Southeast Asian region, information on bycatch is particularly scarce, and there is little indication that the issue is adequately addressed anywhere in the region. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted face-to-face interview surveys across fishing communities in the Malaysian side of the Brunei Bay. We collected two datasets of marine mammal bycatch incidences from two different groups of fishermen (N=90 of 356 reported dugong data, 0.3%, and N=62 of 146 reported dolphin data, 0.4%), to estimate the levels of mortalities of the marine mammals. More than four fifths (82.1%) of respondents reported that they have accidentally captured at least one marine mammal (25.0% dugong and 42.5% dolphin) throughout their lifetime as a fisherman, with the highest frequency of occurrence being reported by fishers using gillnets (53.5% and 38.7%, respectively). Our interview results suggest an annual bycatch of 0.22 (95% CI = 0.13 to 0.32) for dugongs and 0.65 (95% CI = 0.40 to 0.88) for dolphins in the Malaysian Brunei Bay. Findings from this study provides important data to guide fisheries resource managers in providing protection and conservation efforts the endangered marine mammal populations.

Length-Weight Relationships and Condition Factors of Kawakawa Euthynnus affinis and Longtail Tuna Thunnus tonggol from Sarawak, Malaysia

Jamil Musel*, Arfaezah Anuar, Siti Norasiah Darahman, Richard Rumpet — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Length-weight relationships (LWR) and condition factors (K) were determined for two neritic tuna species Euthynnus affinis and Thunnus tonggol, caught in Sarawak waters. Specimens were collected from five locations around Sarawak between 2016-2019. The r2 value of the LWR for each species re both close to 1 (>0.9), indicating a highly significant relationship attributed to the length and weight of the fish species . The K values are 1.94 and 1.97, and the values of b in the LW equation are 2.53 and 2.59 for E. affinis and T. tonggol, respectively. The b<3 values indicates negative allometric growth patterns, where the growth rate of body length is faster than the weight gain. These values fall within the published range of 2.50 to 3.50 for neritic tuna species in the region. The results of this study provide the basic life history parameters and the general condition of the two species, E. affinis and T. tonggol, useful for our tuna fish stock assessment efforts in Sarawak waters.