We were invited by Macaranga to share our views on overtourism on Redang Island, which was first published in Macaranga here: https://www.macaranga.org/islanders-squeezed-out-by-mainland-boatmen/#more-36839

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Redang Island is groaning under the weight of day-trippers and both nature and locals are suffering, warns marine advocate Julian Hyde.

IN JUNE, Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) was one of several organisations that raised concerns about a video taken of Teluk Dalam, Redang Island, with so many boats lined up along the beach that it was scarcely possible to move between them.

The community marine conservation group that we support on Redang (Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG) led local efforts to raise awareness of this growing problem.

(Feature pic: Some days, the Teluk Dalam beach is neck-deep in day-tripping boats, 90% of which are from the main land | Photo by imanredang)

While we acknowledge that the video was taken on a particularly busy day during the school holidays (3 June 2025), it nonetheless raises concerns. According to Muhaimin Hou, leader of RMCG, “The numbers just continue to grow and this sight is becoming more common”.

The back-story to this incident starts around the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and is illustrative of a growing problem with tourism numbers on Redang. Two things happened at about the same time, which have had serious consequences for the island’s natural resources and the livelihoods of some locals.

What’s left for locals?

The first was that boat operators providing resort guests with transport services from Merang – the jump-off to the island – started to offer those guests snorkeling tours, displacing services that local boatmen had previously provided.

The second was a growth in day trips to the island, again from Merang, but a different customer group who didn’t want to stay on the island but wanted to participate in “island-hopping tours”. Again, local boatmen could not get access to this market.

Day-trippers brought by mainland boats to Redang crowd out local operators (imanredang)

What happened as a result? Several things, two of which are important. First, the number of tourists swelled greatly – as the pictures of Teluk Dalam show.

We don’t have much data on the impact of so many additional tourists on the island’s marine ecosystems but a common complaint of island boatmen is that the boatmen from the mainland seem more interested in showing their customers a good time than taking care around sensitive ecosystems.

Islander Hassanudin Samsudin, a member of the RMCG, said, “Most of them do not know basic marine etiquette — like not stepping on corals, not chasing turtles, or not feeding the fish. Their behaviour directly damages the fragile reef ecosystem.”

It will get worse

He further warned of the escalating risk to marine life due to increased boat traffic.

“From March until now, we have recorded more than 10 turtle deaths caused by boat propellers. These are not isolated cases—it’s becoming a trend. The combination of inexperienced boatmen, uncontrolled traffic, and disregard for speed limits near nesting beaches and feeding grounds is killing our turtles.”

Turtle mortality from boat strikes is particularly alarming given that Redang is a critical nesting and feeding area for endangered Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and critically endangered Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Such incidents undermine years of conservation work led by government agencies and NGOs.

Daytrippers leave behind rubbish on Redang (Cintai Redang)

The second important impact of this trend in the tourism market is that island boatmen can no longer get access to customers staying in the island’s resorts, because the boatmen providing them with transport to the island were able to sell them snorkeling trips before the island boatmen could even get close to the tourists.

As a result, island boatmen are seeing their incomes decline — at the same time as more tourists are arriving.

Yusri Azizol, the Chairman of the Pulau Redang Tourist Boat Operators Association, has voiced deep concerns regarding this influx of day-trippers. While tourism numbers may appear healthy on paper, the rapid rise of budget-oriented day trip packages is adversely impacting the livelihoods of local boatmen on the island.

Mainlanders taking everything

According to Yusri, these day-trippers often arrive on pre-arranged packages that include transport, food, and snorkeling activities — all coordinated by mainland-based operators.

“Our income is dropping. Local boat operators who live on the island and rely on sustainable tourism are being sidelined,” he said.

Yusri emphasised the need for better regulation and equitable tourism models that prioritise community involvement, environmental sustainability, and fair distribution of income.

Turtle strikes have become common in Redang, leading to over 10 deaths (@lildenk & @nikaliff)

Ironically, just a few weeks later, I found myself on Redang, and I’ve been able to see the problem myself at first hand. Passing by a local attraction, the sand bar, I saw huge numbers of boats. I couldn’t help asking myself who would want to join that scrum!

Later, while boarding a boat to leave on a dive trip, I saw mainland boats dropping customers off near the beach – among boats trying to leave. It’s a safety issue if nothing else.

RMCG has done a great job raising awareness locally through marine awareness programmes for the island school, beach clean-ups and hands-on conservation activities such as establishing a turtle protection zone.

Guardians of the seas

Local boatmen and guides know how to protect reefs from snorkelers; outside boat operators don’t understand reef etiquette. Just as we were leaving our dive site, one RMCG representative scolded an outside boat operator who was ignoring the fact his customers were standing on a coral formation within a few feet of his boat.

The members of the RCMG have contacted various government agencies about these – and other – problems, only to be rebuffed with explanations along the lines of: “It’s someone else’s responsibility”.

I can’t help thinking – how do we get beyond such silo thinking? How many tourists is “too much” and how do we address this? I’ve said it so many times: RCM is not against tourism; but it is in favour of sustainable tourism.

Giving islanders a say is key to good management of islands, including of tourists; pictured are RMCG’s engagement with the Fisheries Department in 2024 and Terengganu State Park Management Council the year before (Cintai Redang)

We need a more integrated approach to management that brings together all stakeholders, say in a Protected Area Management Body, that provides for collaboration between stakeholders, gives the islanders a voice, and creates accountability (more here).

We have started this conversation with relevant agencies in Terengganu, Pahang and Johor. At a workshop in Pahang recently we received strong support for the concept.

Safeguarding islanders’ security

This will help protect locals’ livelihoods. Getting locals involved empowers them, makes them feel less marginalised – and systems such as ‘honorary wardens’ can complement surveillance and enforcement activities. This can help to improve compliance with regulations and reduce incidents that cause damage – either to people or ecosystems.

And it’s not just Redang; other islands are suffering similar challenges. We strongly recommend that the government take steps to look into the sustainability of tourism to the islands. Island ecosystems contribute both to food security and ourism-based livelihoods. We need to protect them.

[Edited by SL Wong]

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