Community Marine Conservation Groups – Coming of Age

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) has long championed the cause of local communities having a role in managing protected areas, whether terrestrial or marine. The establishment of protected areas to manage and conserve biodiversity inevitably affects communities’ traditional rights of access to those resources.

Yes, it’s in a good cause, and ultimately will benefit everyone. But there can be significant impacts on the livelihoods of local communities. Surely few would disagree that those communities that are affected should be involved in decisions about how such areas are established and subsequently managed. It’s only fair, right?

These concepts are not new, and, lest we forget, they are enshrined in several national and international policies and agreements:

• At national level, the Malaysian National Policy on Biological Diversity stresses the inclusion of local communities in biodiversity conservation, as does the 12th Malaysia Plan

• At international level, the Global Biodiversity Framework specifically includes a role for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, a role that is also recognised in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

First Steps - A Local Presence

In 2014 RCM opened its first field office, on Tioman Island, with a goal to localise conservation efforts. The largest island off the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Tioman is home to a population of around 3,700 islanders…and receives around 250,000 tourist visitors per year. 

Back in 1994, the waters around Tioman, along with over 40 other islands off the East coast, were gazetted as a Marine Park. The Marine Park covers an area from low water mark out to 2 nautical miles from the island, and no fishing or other harvesting are allowed.

Since the Marine Park was established, various attempts have been made to create a role for local communities in how the Marine Park is managed. For example, as part of a UNDP-funded project running from 2007 to 2013, a Community Consultative Committee was proposed as a suitable structure. However, for various reasons none of these initiatives took root.

So, it was no surprise that we found strong interest among local stakeholders in being more involved in conservation of the island’s marine resources, highlighted in a 2014 survey of local islanders’ opinions. Subsequent research revealed systemic challenges to greater recruitment of local islanders in the Marine Park authority, relating to government hiring policies…

The First Community Marine Conservation Group (CMCG)

…and thus, was born the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG). And here we are, celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year!

TMCG started as a pilot project to engage local communities in conservation activities. An initial group of 10 recruits has since grown to over 80 full-time members, and TMCG is present in all seven village on Tioman Island.

We have provided training in a variety of skills, from diving certification through reef surveys and ghost net removal to rehabilitation and other conservation actions.Members now participate in weekly conservation programmes and are paid a small sum for their time.

So, not only is TMCG acting as a critical conservation partner, introducing a participatory component to marine resource management, it is also contributing to the economy on the island. Further, we are able to branch out into other conservation programmes including Green Fins, a best practice programme for dive operators, and Green Hotels – green best practices for resorts and hotels. And we are engaging with local municipal government and other stakeholders.

Reef Care – Institutionalising Community Participation

In 2020, the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DoFM) introduced the Reef Care programme, which for the first time gave local communities some responsibility for managing coral reefs in their area. TMCG and RCM were appointed as partners for Tioman…and we requested DoFM to expand the programme to other areas.

Importantly, the Reef Care programme provided a mechanism to institutionalise community participation in management of marine resources.

9 Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCGs) and growing…

‘Reef Care’ was a term specifically applied to community groups under the supervision of DoFM in Peninsular Malaysia. Following consultations within RCM, with other Reef Care partners and other marine conservation players, a new name was agreed to recognise different communities and stakeholders across Malaysia: Community Marine Conservation Group (CMCGs).

A set of operating and reporting guidelines was agreed by the partners, in an effort to standardize activities, make it easier for new partners to start, and ultimately strengthen the network. There are now 9 CMCGs supported by RCM, Fuze Ecoteer and PULIHARA and there are plans to extend the network.

RCM’s current CMCG partners include:

• Peninsular Malaysia: Tioman island, Redang island, Mersing

• Sabah: Larapan island, Selakan island, Mabul island, Kulapuan island. 

Success of the Community Marine Conservation Group (CMCGs) model

Data collected from CMCGs at the end of 2024 clearly show that the CMCGs are a proven approach to empowering local communities and building capacity in marine management and conservation.

Key achievements in 2024 include:

• CMCGs have conducted coral reef surveys at 136 sites, nearly half of the annual survey programme in Malaysia, demonstrating strong interest among local communities in participating in reef management

• Over 4,000 kg of ghost nets and other fishing gear have been removed from the ocean by the CMCGs

• Community groups have conducted 67 underwater clean-ups and numerous beach clean-ups, removing over 25,000 kg of trash

• 115 school education and awareness progammes have been completed at more than 15 locations.

We have released our CMCG Annual Summary Report 2024 here and you can also find it on our website.

What’s next for Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCGs)?

We are exploring several opportunities to extend the CMCG programme. In Peninsular Malaysia, efforts are focusing on establishing further community groups on the mainland, possibly in communities associated with islands. In Sabah, we are discussing opportunities to establish new CMCGs with various communities and government agencies.

The most important next step is to work with relevant government agencies at Federal and State levels to institutionalise the CMCGs, by providing them with a formal role in marine resource management.

Although they have proven highly successful to date, CMCGs still have no recognized position, and this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency to truly make local community participation in marine resource management a reality.

We are working to change that. Please contact us at hello@reefcheck.org.my if you would like to learn more about the CMCGs and explore ways to support them.

______________________________________________________________________________________

If you'd like to support us, you can follow our social media pages for any updates on our work and volunteering opportunities, or you could also donate towards our cause.