Journal of Sustainability Science and Management Special Issue Number 3: ISSN: 1823-8556 Improving the Health of Setiu Wetlands Ecosystems and Productivity of © Penerbit UMT Crustacean Resources for Livelihood Enhancement 2017: 1-7 IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF SETIU WETLANDS ECOSYSTEMS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CRUSTACEAN RESOURCES FOR LIVELIHOOD ENHANCEMENT MHD IKHWANUDDIN*1, WAHIZATUL AFZAN AZMI2, MUHAMMAD HAFIZ BORKHANUDDIN2, SHARIFAH RAHMAH SYED MUHAMMAD3 AND IZWANDY IDRIS2 1Institute of Tropical Aquaculture, 2School of Marine and Environmental Sciences and 3School of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract: The Niche Research Grant Scheme (NRGS) program which was awarded to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) in 2013 is generally aimed to develop more focus social innovation activities in Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu, Malaysia, involving every UMT academia. In this NRGS Special Issue, a total of 16 papers is presented with all these papers are part of the six main project components of the NRGS research program. The six main project components of NRGS research program are; i) An integrated assessment of physical and chemical parameters and their effect on the biological resources on Setiu Wetlands, ii) Assessment of wetland forest health and its socio-ecological functions, iii) Assessment of the population and genetics of crustacean species in Setiu Wetlands, iv) Enhancement of the productivity of crustacean resources through application of feed technology, v) Development of product mangrove, gelam and mud crab for aquaculture, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical application and vi) Improving the livelihood of local communities using Setiu Wetlands resources. This Special Issue presents the biological and socioeconomic information of Setiu Wetlands ecosystems and crustacean resources which is significant for sustaining the livelihood of their local communities. It is foreseen that this 1st special issue of NRGS publication will be useful to researchers, academicians and related stakeholders interested in the biological and socioeconomic information about Setiu Wetlands ecosystems and their crustacean resources. Keywords: Crustacean resources, ecosystem, livelihood, Niche Research Grant Scheme, Setiu Wetlands. Mhd Ikhwanuddin et al. 2 Introduction Suratman et al., 2016). The Wetlands is an The Niche Research Grant Scheme (NRGS) area of high biodiversity. For a number of has been awarded to UMT at the end of research carried out, 29 species of 2013 by the Ministry of Higher Education, mammals, 161 species of birds, and 36 Malaysia. The NRGS program is generally species of reptiles and amphibians are aiming to develop more focus social found (WWF, 2013). innovation activities, involving every Besides that, a marine animal that Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) includes various invertebrate species, academia who can benefit the local gastropod species, and bivalve species, community especially and global crustaceans are also available. Setiu community generally. This Special Issue is Wetlands is a major aquaculture spot. The based on the NRGS Program Seminar local residents are involved in brackish entitle ‘Improving the Health of Setiu water cage culture, pond culture, pen Wetlands Ecosystems and Productivity of culture and oyster farming. Other than that, Crustacean Resources for Livelihood the lagoon is also a natural harbour for Enhancement’ presents the biological and fishing boats of the fishermen surrounding socioeconomic information on Setiu the area. Local industries at the local Wetlands ecosystems and crustacean villages also produced seafood-based resources which is significant for sustaining delicacies such as ‘budu’ (fermented fish the livelihood of the local communities sauce), fish crackers, dried anchovies and inhabiting the coastal zone of Terengganu ‘belacan’ (shrimp paste) (Suratman et al., and the South China Sea. In the latest 2014). Small fishing boat-making industry development, this research program has is also carried out by the villagers. initiated the implementation of the Setiu Wetlands Research Corridor and further Health of Wetland Ecosystems development of the UMT niche area, The ecosystem health of wetland is a newly 'Marine Sciences and Aquatic Resources' so emerged concept, which refers to the state that it is more visible and sustainable. of a wetland having no impairment to the processes of material cycling and energy Setiu Wetland flow inside the studied ecosystem. When Setiu Wetlands are located in Terengganu, wetland is identified as a healthy north-eastern peninsular Malaysia. It is the ecosystem, this wetland ecosystem remains largest natural wetlands in the East Coast resistant or resilient to the long-term and region of Peninsular Malaysia with the size unexpected disturbance caused by natural of 23,000 hectares, combining various or human activities and shows diversity, ecosystems, including freshwater, seawater, complexity and robustness, because the brackish water and a 14 km lagoon critical ecological components of the (Suratman et al., 2005; WWF, 2008; ecosystem are well preserved and exhibit J. Sustain. Sci. Manage. Special Issue Number 3: Improving the Health of Setiu Wetlands Ecosystems and Productivity of Crustacean Resources for Livelihood Enhancement 2017: 1-7 no symptoms. The health evaluation of since lately. This is when doubts began to Setiu Wetlands ecosystem in this research crop up about the capacity of the fisheries program is aimed to determine the sector to contribute sustainable to the magnitude of the jeopardise to or livelihoods, especially of the poor. This deterioration of the ecosystem. The NRGS research program is based on the evaluation will also provide an early premise that fishing communities warning or offer information to the themselves harbour a wealth of knowledge, decision-making process on maintaining experience and understanding on livelihood the sustainability of Setiu Wetlands. enhancement and diversification. Understanding the strategies adopted Crustacean Resources by different stakeholders could be the Setiu Wetlands support (or have supported) starting point for more appropriate some of the most commercially significant responses to the issue. The NRGS research crustacean stocks in Malaysia. Major program presently attempts to develop a crustacean resources include species of detailed, case study based, typology of mud crab (Scylla olivacea, S. tranquebarica different livelihood enhancement and and S. paramamosain), blue swimming diversification strategies adopted by the crab (Portunus pelagicus), giant freshwater Setiu Wetlands fisheries (Nakisah & prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Fauziah, 2003). The strategies for marine shrimp (Penaeus monodon and P. livelihood enhancement and diversification merguensis (Ikhwanuddin et al., 2010; sought to safeguard the existing scheme of Taufik et al., 2014; WWF, 2014). Under things than to seek options for improving this NRGS research program, the trends in conditions. An important strand that runs catch, recruitment and abundance (when through the systems of organisation (social, possible) and discuss existing evidence of economic, political) in this research overfishing and management options will program was the emphasis on stability be examined. The research program will (economic and social) over profit also emphasize the importance of maximisation. recognizing the multi-scale spatial structure and suggest the need to consider spatially Content of this issue st explicit strategies of crustacean stocks from In this 1 Special Issue of NRGS Setiu Wetlands. publication, a total of 15 papers is presented. All these papers are part of the Livelihood Enhancement six main project components of the NRGS research program. One paper under the first The issue of livelihood enhancement and NRGS research program for the integrated diversification amongst Setiu Wetlands assessment of physical and chemical fishing communities gained prominence parameters and their effect on the J. Sustain. Sci. Manage. Special Issue Number 3: Improving the Health of Setiu Wetlands Ecosystems and Productivity of Crustacean Resources for Livelihood Enhancement 2017: 1-7 biological resources on Setiu Wetlands were also presented in this issue under the were presented. This paper aim to study the fifth NRGS research program on the combination of titanium dioxide nano development of a product from mangrove, particles with polystyrene sulfonate as gelam and mud crab for aquaculture, composite for further explores its potential nutraceutical and cosmeceutical in anticorrosion coatings. Two papers under application. These three papers include; in the second NRGS research program on the vitro evaluation of probiotic properties of assessment of wetland forest health and its Bacillus licheniformis from orange mud socio-ecological functions are included in crab, Scylla olivacea, biomaterials derived this issue. These papers basically related to from Sardinella fimbriata bones as anodyne bats as an important pollinator agent for sunscreen and infestation of Probopyrus sp. mangrove tree species, Sonneratia alba and on Macrobrachium lanchesteri. anti-oxidative activities and flavonoids Lastly, a total of five papers were contents in leaves of selected mangrove presented under the sixth NRGS research species of Setiu Wetlands. program on improving the livelihood of Next, three more papers were also local communities