Guardians of the Coast: United for Beach and Underwater Clean-Ups

Between July and September, our Mersing team conducted and co-organised four underwater clean-ups at Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar and Pulau Harimau and removed a total of 293kg of ghost nets and marine debris from the reefs. Over 35 divers joined the underwater cleanups that were conducted in collaboration with various local organisation and communities which includes the Mersing District Council, Johor National Parks, Department of Fisheries Johor, Mersing Tourism Association, Tengah Island Conservation, Pulau Besar and Pulau Tinggi communities, and Mersing’s local community.

Community Recycling Takes Off with Strong Local Support

We have launched the Pulau Aur community recycling programme by installing nine recycling bins made from BRC wire mesh. Each bin was built together with the island community and placed at various locations throughout two villages, where population density is among the highest. This recycling initiative was developed based on previous community consultation sessions with the island community. It aims to improve waste management on the island by focusing on recyclable items such as plastic bottles, metal cans, aluminium tins, and glass bottles.

In the coming months, we will be conducting community consultations to gather feedback on the current recycling programme. We hope that with the continued support and participation of the island community, this recycling programme will become an integral part of Pulau Aur’s waste management efforts.