Pelagic fish resources are an important component of blue food systems, contributing to seafood supply, food security and coastal livelihoods in Malaysia. However, these resources are increasingly affected by fishing pressure and changing oceanographic conditions, particularly variations in sea surface temperature and marine productivity. Understanding how fishing effort responds to environmental variability is therefore important for supporting sustainable harvesting, fisheries monitoring and climate-resilient marine resource management. This study assessed the spatio-temporal relationship between fishing effort and oceanographic variability in the east and west coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Peninsular Malaysia from 2016 to 2025, with emphasis on pelagic fish resources. Fishing effort data, represented by apparent fishing hours, were converted into fishing effort density per unit area to identify the spatial concentration of fishing activities. Satellite-derived sea surface temperature was used as the main environmental indicator influencing pelagic fish distribution, while chlorophyll-a concentration was incorporated as a proxy for surface productivity and potential food availability. The datasets were processed into monthly and seasonal composites and integrated within a GIS environment. Spatial distribution mapping was conducted to examine the patterns of fishing effort, sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a across both EEZ regions. Hotspot analysis, including fishing effort density mapping and persistent hotspot identification was applied to determine important and recurrent pelagic fishing zones. Seasonal and interannual variability analyses were conducted to compare changes during monsoon and inter-monsoon periods. Correlation analysis and generalized additive modelling were used to evaluate the relationship between fishing effort and oceanographic variables. The study highlighted how variations in sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration influenced the distribution and intensity of pelagic fishing activities in Malaysian waters. Differences between the east and west coast EEZ reflected regional contrasts in monsoon influence, productivity patterns and fishing-ground dynamics. Overall, this study provides a geospatial and satellite-based approach for understanding the interaction between ocean conditions and pelagic fishing effort. The findings can support fisheries monitoring, marine spatial planning and sustainable management of pelagic blue food resources under changing environmental conditions.