As a part of major reforms for the fishery sector, 14 countries agreed to cut trawling and push net fishing to reverse the growing production of low-value 'trash' fish. The decision was taken at the recent 29th session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission held in Malaysia. Trash fish are of little commercial value and used as feed in the aquaculture sector. Scientists and policymakers have long been arguing that with catches of larger and more vulnerable fish species declining, particularly in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, trash fish should not be used as feed. The signatory countries (Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam) have agreed to promote the farming of trash fish for human consumption through better processing.
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