Saving our blue economy

Photo: 123rf

INCREASING pollution and unsustainable practices are threatening Malaysia’s marine wildlife, placing the future of our blue economy – an economy built on the sustainable use of ocean resources – in jeopardy.

In recent years the signs of distress have become impossible to ignore. In 2022, heart-wrenching images surfaced from Pulau Kerengga, Terengganu, where a baby green sea turtle was found dead, its stomach filled with plastic waste. This tragic incident is not an isolated one; turtles across Malaysia are increasingly falling victim to plastic pollution. What they think is jellyfish – one of their favourite foods – often turns out to be plastic bags.