Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 21 -- Malaysia is stepping up measures to conserve marine wildlife amid growing pressure from climate change, fishing activities and increasingly stringent requirements from import markets.

The move is seen as a strategic effort to protect biodiversity while maintaining the international competitiveness of the country's fisheries sector.

Accordingly, the Fisheries Malaysia Department (FMD) is revising regulations under Article 27 of the Fisheries Act 1985, specifically the Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species of Fish) Regulations 1999. The proposed amendments focus on adding nine marine mammal species to the protected list to strengthen the legal framework against population decline.

In a statement issued this we...