Group photo at the Turtle Hatchery Site in Mangalum Island.
KOTA KINABALU: Various conservation initiatives are being done on the marine ecosystem around Sabah’s Mengalum Island, not far from the city here.
The island, which is partially owned by Taiwanese real estate agency company Sinyi Group, is home to marine life such as coral reefs, turtles, fish and other species.
According to a statement by the company, they have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Sea Turtle Conservation with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD).
This MoU enables Sinyi Group to establish a turtle hatchery on the island, one of the westernmost turtle hatcheries in Sabah, it said.
Additionally, to better protect the turtles on the island, the SWD has provided wildlife management training to Sinyi Group employees.
These are part of the company’s pledge to dedicate a majority of the land to nature conservation and reforestation projects, it said, adding that the goal was to achieve a "net zero carbon emissions" status for Mengalum Island by 2030.
The statement said that Mengalum Island is a pristine island with abundant natural ecology and great tourism potential.
However, the ecological environment has suffered from significant human-induced damage for a long time.
Among other initiatives done by the company are collaborating with the Borneo Marine Research Institute from University of Malaysia Sabah to conduct marine ecological surveys on the island.
From the research, it was found that coral reefs were destroyed by blast fishing which led to a decline in sea life.
There was also proof of turtle eggs being stolen causing a sharp decline in the number of sea turtles around Mengalum Island, it said in the statement.
To prevent further damage to the natural environment, the company collaborated with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to set up maritime quarters and provide necessary needs on the island, making it convenient for Maritime personnel to be on duty.
This has effectively curbed ongoing blast fishing activities.
In 2019, the Sinyi Group invested RM226mil to acquire over half of the land on Mengalum Island.
The company plans to develop a low-density high-end eco-resort while the majority of the land will be dedicated to nature conservation and reforestation projects.
