Prioritise Marine Food Security, Pollution Prevention In Budget 2027 - Expert
By Nur Athirah Mohd Shaharuddin
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has been urged to recognise marine food security and marine pollution prevention as a matter of national resilience and economic priority in Budget 2027.
Hexagon Synergy Group sustainability and strategic planning head, Dr Nur Zulaikha Yusof, said the 2027 financial blueprint should support greater investment in the infrastructure and systems needed to prevent marine pollution at source.
She cautioned that failing to address this issue could harm the ecosystems that sustain fisheries and aquaculture.
“These sectors are vital to the nation’s economy, valued at over RM1.3 billion, providing employment for more than 100,000 people and serving as a crucial source of income for many communities.
“Crucially, this includes deploying robust port reception facilities (PRFs) for the proper collection, treatment and disposal of ship-generated waste,” the expert in waste management and environmental sustainability told Bernama today.
PRFs are specialised facilities in ports designed to receive, manage, and process waste generated by ships, ensuring compliance with international maritime environmental regulations.
The government in its development and financial plans should place greater emphasis on protecting Malaysia’s marine environment as a core component of the nation’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda.
This is particularly so as Malaysia seeks to strengthen marine food security, safeguard coastal livelihoods and expand its wider blue economy, which entails the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources.
Nur Zulaikha said ships generate oily residues, sewage, plastics, garbage and other operational waste which, if not properly managed, could enter the marine environment, placing further pressure on coastal waters and habitats, damaging ecosystems that support fisheries and increasing clean-up costs.
The consequences extend beyond the environment, as the health of marine ecosystems is closely linked to seafood availability, fishing activities and the livelihoods of coastal communities, underscoring the need for Budget 2027 to prioritise investment in measures that strengthen marine protection and, in turn, safeguard the country’s food security and coastal economy.
“The warning is already visible in Malaysia’s fisheries catch, which, despite a brief recovery in 2022, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) data show marine capture production shrinking by nearly 190,000 tonnes between 2019 and 2023, from about 1.46 million to 1.27 million tonnes.
“For a sector that feeds the nation and sustains coastal economies, the direction matters as much as the number,” she said.
Nur Zulaikha emphasised that marine food security should not just be evaluated at the landing jetty. It also encompasses the availability and safety of seafood, the accessibility of fishing grounds for coastal communities, and the sustainability of livelihoods in fishing, aquaculture, processing, and trade.
Protecting the sea from avoidable pollution is therefore not only an environmental obligation but also an ESG imperative, as the health of marine ecosystems underpins both food security and coastal economic activity.
“PRFs effectively translate this priority into action by safely managing ship waste onshore and protecting Malaysia’s seas, food security, and coastal livelihoods,” she said.
Nur Zulaikha said PRFs will not rebuild fish stocks, nor could they replace effective fisheries management, habitat protection, climate adaptation, sustainable fishing or controls on pollution from land. Their role is narrower, but the impact is tangible.
By providing vessels with a controlled and reliable means of transferring waste ashore, PRFs could reduce the risks of contamination, habitat damage, disruption to fishing and deterioration of waters that sustain seafood production.
Effective PRF System Requires Clear Rules, Enforcement
She also implored the government to consider establishing a dedicated PRF policy and regulatory framework to provide a clear legal basis for waste delivery, cost-recovery arrangements, monitoring and enforcement, drawing on European best practices for PRFs.
“The European Union’s approach under Directive (EU) 2019/883 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships provides a useful international benchmark for an effective PRF system.
“It recognises that preventing waste discharges at sea requires more than physical infrastructure; it must be reinforced by clear waste-delivery obligations, appropriate cost-recovery arrangements, effective monitoring and consistent enforcement,” she said.
Nur Zulaikha said evidence from earlier REFIT Evaluations of the PRF Directive supports this broader approach.
The amount of garbage delivered by vessels to EU ports increased substantially, with deliveries in 2013 reported to be more than double those recorded in 2004.
Over the same period, potential oil-spill detections declined from an average of 10.77 per 1,000 square kilometres in 2008 to 3.89 in 2013, indicating a corresponding reduction in estimated oily-waste discharges at sea.
PRFs Driving Malaysia’s ESG Agenda
Nur Zulaikha said well-functioning PRFs could directly support Malaysia’s ESG agenda by turning environmental responsibility into a controlled, measurable waste-management system.
For Malaysia, strengthening PRFs is not simply about meeting international obligations; it is about protecting the marine environment, preserving resources that sustain food security and delivering stronger ESG outcomes.
By keeping ship-generated waste out of the marine environment, protecting coastal resources and livelihoods, and ensuring waste is documented, traceable, and managed through authorised channels, PRFs bring environmental protection, social resilience, and governance accountability into a single operational framework.
“In this way, PRFs can help ports and maritime stakeholders demonstrate tangible ESG performance while supporting Malaysia’s broader ambition for a cleaner, more responsible and resilient maritime economy,” she said.
-- BERNAMA