Reef star maintenance at Larapan Island.
KOTA KINABALU: Islanders in Semporna have planted over 12,500 corals in waters off the Sabah east coast district since June last year.
These volunteers working with the local government bodies as well as non-governmental organisations like Reef Check Malaysia, have planted the corals in four islands popular for scuba diving and tourism namely Selakan, Mabul, Kulapuan, and Larapan.
The latest effort from Jan 26 to 31 was spearheaded by the Selakan Marine Conservation Group in Selakan Island where 60 islanders helped achieve a significant milestone by completing the deployment of 505 reef stars.
This was made possible through support from Sabah Parks and the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.
Mulsedi Abdul Hadi, a representative from the Selakan Marine Conservation Group said they were proud to be part of this community.
Their group, he said, had planted over 7,500 corals with Reef Check Malaysia and Sabah Parks in his home island of Selakan.
"I was told that it was the largest effort so far, in all of Semporna," he said, on Sunday (Feb 4).
Semporna district officer Alexandar Liew was full of praise for the efforts put in by the islanders.
"Coral reefs are the livelihood and treasure of Semporna, serving as the main attraction for tourism and fisheries.
"I am fully devoted to supporting this ongoing effort to ensure the continued protection of our coral reefs and I hope more local communities and other institutions will join in.
"This is so these initiatives can be continuously conducted for the betterment of Semporna and our future generation," he said.
Reef Check Malaysia programme manager Adzmin Fatta said it was pleasing to witness the active involvement of youths in safeguarding the reefs in Semporna.
He said their heightened awareness on the importance of coral reefs has ignited a passion to protect their islands.
"Some have even taken the lead in deterring illegal fishing practices around their communities.
"Others help address waste management issues, particularly the youth from Larapan Marine Conservation Group, which has successfully recovered 7,000kg of waste through waste management efforts on the island supported by Reef Check Malaysia," he said.
Adzmin added that as these initiatives continued to flourish, they not only contributed to the preservation of Semporna's environment but also serve as a testament to the power of community-led conservation efforts.
He said the commitment and actions of these empowered island communities are building a sustainable future for Semporna's marine ecosystem, ensuring its vitality for generations to come.
He explained that Semporna was located at the heart of the Coral Triangle and host the highest concentration of Malaysia's coral reefs, and stood as a beacon of marine biodiversity.
Despite its ecological significance, he said, the coral reefs in Semporna faced local challenges stemming from unsustainable fishing practices, marine pollution, coastal development and unsustainable tourism.
He said Reef Check Malaysia has provided scuba diving training to the youths at Semporna islands, including eco-diver training.
"This is to equip them with skills to conduct citizen science coral reef monitoring and various coral reef restoration techniques which they are implementing on their respective home islands," Adzmin said.
