Protect Coral Reefs in Malaysia

The local marine conservation groups are making great strides in marine conservation efforts once again. Earlier this year, volunteers from the IKLIM Mabul Youthand Larapan Marine Conservation Group collaborated with the Semporna district office and Pulau Sipadan Resort and Tours (PSR), as well as Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) to install four new mooring buoys at Timba-Timba Island, located off Sabah’s east coast district of Semporna.

This initiative was part of the ‘Building Marine Conservation Leaders in Semporna’ project, funded by the CIMB Foundation, with additional support from Tourism Jetty and the Semporna Professional Dive Association.

Adzmin Fatta, RCM’s Programme Manager explained that the main objective of deploying these buoys was to mitigate the impact caused by boat anchors to coral reefs. The reefs of Timba-Timba Island are a hot spot for diving and snorkelling activities, and as such, boat operators are frequently anchoring their boats in the area, causing damage to the reefs. It has been reported that the number of visitors to Timba-Timba Island in a month exceeds 20,000 people.

“The indiscriminate use of anchors has been identified as a significant threat to the health of coral reefs, prompting this collaborative effort to provide an eco-friendly alternative for marine enthusiasts,” he said. He also explained that Timba-Timba Island was chosen as the location for the buoys based on a study by Reef Check Malaysia, which showed a decline in coral reef coverage of the island.

“The mooring buoy deployment aligns with the broader goal of Reef Check Malaysia, which is to foster marine conservation leadership in Semporna. This initiative not only addresses immediate environmental concerns but also contributes to the sustainable management of marine resources and the long-term vitality of the region,” Adzmin added.

A mooring buoy is a floating structure attached to the seabed using chains or ropes, and is used to moor sea vessels such as boats, either in deep or shallow water. Without these buoys, boats would have to throw their own boat anchors into the sea, which are capable of breaking coral reefs and destroying them. In the event of bad weather and strong waves or currents, the anchor can be dragged along the seabed and through reef areas, causing irreversible damage. It is therefore crucial that we address such local impacts to coral reefs, to strengthen reef resilience and support local communities. Adzmin added, “Reefs are important not only for our marine ecosystem but also for our livelihoods, such as tourism and fisheries.”

Each of these mooring buoys installed were equipped with three sinkers, capable of accommodating up to five boats. Semporna district officer Alexandar Liew was delighted with the buoy installation and urged boat operators to use these facilities. “Many have raised concerns on the anchoring impacts at Timba-Timba, particularly by dive and snorkelling guides. Therefore, it is important for us to address this issue to ensure the sustainability of our tourism industry in Semporna,” he said.

Links:

• Mooring buoys off Timba Timba Island reduce boat anchor impact
• Good 'buoys' to save corals

The youths from the islands of Kulapuan, Larapan and Mabul in Malaysia are no strangers to reef conservation activities that have begun in their islands since early 2023. Late last year, our colleagues in Sabah organised an advanced open water (AOW) course and rescue diver course for 8 youths from these islands. The training was held part of the long-term community-based coral restoration project, supported by the IKI Small Grant Programmes. We believe that these certifications will be able to provide the youths with deeper knowledge and skills necessary to help prevent diving accidents, recognize life threatening diving situations, perform or supervise in-water rescues, manage rescue operations and provide post-rescue aid. These youths, who already had their Open Water Dive certification, became visibly more comfortable and confident with diving after they completed these two dive courses.

Following the upgrading of the youths’ diving skills, we then conducted the Coral Restoration Training, also part of the same programme. Through this training that was open to more youths, we aimed to introduce at least four methods of coral restoration activities for these youths to carry out on their islands. The reception received was very encouraging, and the youths showed great interest to participate in the training. 

During the programme, the participants spent several nights at Mabul Island, learning about coral nurseries and the concrete block (bottle reef/rebar) method for rehabilitation. We were fortunate to have an experienced marine biologist join us to share valuable tips during our training sessions. We’re proud to say that all the youths successfully completed all the training sessions. Upon completion, they then proceeded to affix 621 coral fragments on the Coral Culture Table, while 30 more fragments were tied to the concrete blocks (bottle reef/rebar). Once these nurseries were set up, the team returned to these sites for maintenance activities, to ensure the best chance of survival of the coral fragments. Their dedication and effort is truly commendable, and we will continue to work closely with them in the next steps. 

Each team will expand their coral restoration efforts on their respective islands this year by applying the knowledge gained from the training sessions. In our recent discussions, we delved into the long-term vision for community organization and explored sustainable financing mechanisms, particularly through the innovative Semporna Coral Adoption Programme. This forward-thinking approach aims to ensure the continued success of coral rehabilitation efforts, fostering a self-sustaining model that empowers local communities.