Nearly 600kg of marine debris, including ghost nets, plastic bottles and polystyrene, was removed from the beaches and surrounding waters of Pahang’s Seri Buat Island.
The Seri Buat Island Beach and Underwater Cleanup event was jointly organised by the Pahang State Parks Corporation (PSPC), Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM-Ekomar).
Approximately 40 participants from PSPC, RCM, UKM-ekomar, the Tioman Development Authority, Rompin District Council, marine police, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Pahang Economic Planning Division (BPEN) and the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) took part in the seven-hour cleanup programme.
A total of 595kg of marine debris was removed from both the beach and surrounding underwater areas.
The collected waste included ghost nets, polystyrene, plastic bottles, slippers, glass bottles and other marine litter.
Polystyrene and plastic bottles accounted for the majority of the waste collected, with 2,848 pieces of polystyrene and 2,340 plastic bottles recovered.
The findings highlight the persistent challenge of land-based and marine pollution affecting Seri Buat Island.
“The Pahang State Parks Corporation will continue to strengthen marine conservation efforts through the gazettement of the Seri Buat islands, covering eight islands and extending up to 0.1 nautical miles from the lowest low-water mark,” said its chief executive Zainal Abidin Othman.
“This initiative will strengthen the protection of marine biodiversity, enhance the governance of protected areas, and support a more sustainable, systematic and effective management of the state’s natural resources and revenue.”
The event builds on ongoing marine conservation efforts around the island.
Prior to the cleanup programme, RCM and TMCG, together with a PSPC representative, conducted five underwater cleanup operations at various locations around the island, removing five units of ghost gear weighing a combined 290kg.
“Removing marine debris is about more than keeping our beaches clean.
“Ghost nets and plastic waste can damage coral reefs, entangle marine life and continue harming ecosystems long after they enter the sea,” said Reef Check Malaysia programme manager Shahir Yaman, who is based in Tioman.
“The strong participation from government agencies, researchers and local community shows that protecting Seri Buat Island is a shared responsibility.
“When different sectors work together, we can achieve greater and more lasting conservation outcomes.”
Shahir said the programme was one step in the ongoing efforts around Seri Buat Island.
“Alongside cleanups, we hope to continue strengthening local stewardship and preventing marine debris from entering the environment in the first place.”
