Fisheries regulation: A review of the literature on input controls, the ecosystem, and enforcement in the Straits of Malacca of Malaysia.

• Unregulated rapid expansion of artisanal gears together with overcapacity of trawl fleet have depleted inshore fisheries. • Suboptimal fishery management performance is attributed to limited knowledge of the distribution of fish assemblages. • Generalist role of maritime enforcement agency failed to reduce IUU activities and protect fragile ecosystem. Fisheries' legal framework plays an important role in regulating and managing the proper development of sustainable fisheries. By drawing on peer-reviewed articles and gray literature, this paper reviews and summarizes selected segments on fisheries management and regulatory enforcement for demersal fisheries in Malaysia's Straits of Malacca. Like other tropical fisheries, the small-scale commercial trawl fleets in this region are multispecies and multi-gear fisheries at secluded landing sites that are comprised of low-tech fishing vessels, and similarly, they display a heavy dependence on migrant workers. Some major problems facing these tropical fisheries include overcapacity, depleted fish stocks, conflicts between commercial and traditional fleets, dramatic changes in species composition, and the stress on marine ecosystems due to human activities. Popular management strategies focus on input controls (e.g., mesh size), gear selectivity, marine protected areas, zoning systems, and licensed moratoriums. Although a legal framework exists to regulate fisheries, the suboptimal management performance may be attributed to the maritime enforcement agency's generalist role, limited knowledge on the distribution patterns of fish assemblages, inconsistencies between federal and state laws on fisheries, and a top-down management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]