MARITIME resources must not be overly exploited in the name of economic growth, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Noting that the maritime sector’s contributions to the economy will be increasingly significant as Malaysia heads towards being a developed nation, the prime minister said there is a need to safeguard oceans and marine life for generations to come.

“In our race to become a developed nation, our readily available natural resources must be consolidated and optimised,” he said in his speech at the opening of the National Maritime Conference in Langkawi this morning.

“As demanded by the principle of sustainable development, which we subscribe to, there shouldn’t be the unscrupulous exploitation of the country’s marine resources for the sake of economic growth per se.

“The guiding principle of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

“Thus, when it comes to optimising the use of our seas and marine resources, we must always pay serious consideration to the conservation aspects of the marine environment.”

He said marine ecosystem and biodiversity are also under threat from global warming, apart from food, water and energy security issues.

Recognising this, Malaysia is keen to fulfil the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and adopt Blue Economy principles, where maintaining the health of oceans is key, he said.

Dr Mahathir said to strike a balance between economic growth and maintaining oceans’ health, proper planning and management of the maritime space is necessary.

“Major prioritised sectors, like fisheries, aquaculture, ports and shipping, and oil and mineral exploration and extraction, as well as ocean energy development, should be properly planned and managed.

“Central issues, like pollution control, marine health and sustainable fishing, should always be the basis if we are to achieve the SDGs.”

He also highlighted the importance of boosting maritime security to address issues such as boundary disputes, the illegal trafficking of humans and goods, unregulated and unreported fishing, piracy, terrorism and pollution.

Such activities greatly impede the nation’s economic activities and negatively impact revenues, he said.

“Encroachment by foreign fishing vessels, for instance, has led to massive income loss, apart from irreversible damage to our marine ecosystem.

“It was reported last year that we lost about RM6 billion annually to illegal fishing in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia alone.

“There is a need for us to revisit our approach to managing our vast sea areas and marine resources.”

He said Malaysia has passed no fewer than 15 acts and orders to manage its maritime space.

However, the enforcement of many of these laws is being handled by various agencies across more than 10 ministries and maritime-related departments, leading to inefficiency and overlaps in jurisdiction.

The conference, held at Resort World Langkawi, is in conjunction with the biannual Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2019. – March 27, 2019.