Abstract
•COVID-19 adversely affects the aquaculture sector of Malaysia.•Market demands and seafood supply chains are disrupted.•Economic stimulus packages could relieve the impacts of COVID-19.
The year 2020 was being ushered in by a global pandemic. Within months, COronaVIrus Disease (COVID-19) has spread to almost every country. With its long incubation period and highly contagious characteristics, most countries have initiated lockdown and social distancing is the new norm in most societies. Malaysia implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020 when the cumulative COVID-19 cases were still below 800. Since then, MCO was extended several times and the latest phase of Recovery MCO (RMCO) will last until 31 August 2020. As seafood represents an important protein source, the aquaculture sector supports the livelihood of coastal communities in Malaysia, particularly those involved in micro- and small-scale fish farming activities. The emergence and spread of this pandemic severely disrupt market demand and supply chains of seafood industries. Therefore, this case report looks into the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the aquaculture sector of Malaysia. Then, the coping strategies implemented by Malaysia are highlighted and their potential effectiveness is discussed. Also, some useful recommendations are suggested to ensure the continuity and growth of the aquaculture sector. We believe that insights in this report are applicable to other sectors and countries with similar economic characteristics.