Systemic corruption risks in Malaysia's fisheries value chain: An integrated governance framework for coastal states' resilience

The fisheries sector is fundamental to Malaysia's food security, national economy, and the livelihoods of its coastal communities. However, its long-term sustainability is critically undermined by systemic governance issues and entrenched risks of corruption that permeate the entire value chain. This study diagnoses the interconnected vulnerabilities that enable Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and, based on that diagnosis, proposes an integrated governance framework to enhance sectoral resilience. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through multi-stakeholder Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) conducted across six locations in Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Perak, and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal pervasive risks at every stage of the value chain: from license manipulation and vessel cloning in the preparatory phase, to catch misreporting and at-sea bribery during harvesting, trans-shipment fraud at landing, and product mislabelling in processing and export. In response, the study offers a transformative five-pillar integrated framework : (1) digitalising and harmonizing monitoring systems to ensure real-time, interoperable data; (2) safeguarding staff welfare and integrity through competitive remuneration and continuous ethics training; (3) implementing intelligence-led, deterrent enforcement that targets violators and corrupt networks; (4) engaging fishing communities through precisely targeted subsidies and alternative livelihood programmes; and (5) modernising legislation while unifying overlapping agency mandates. While the study focuses on Malaysia, the proposed framework offers transferable lessons for other nations in Southeast Asia and the Global South facing analogous corruption risks in their fisheries governance.