So Many Days....

On Saturday 11th June, I participated in a beach clean-up organised by one of our long-time sponsors, Sime Darby Foundation. They have been supporting our work on Tioman island for eight years and we are now working to get the island up to speed for accreditation to the IUCN Green List standard.

The event was arranged to coincide with World Environment Day on 5th June – but had to be delayed a week due to a local holiday. Thinking about it that morning, I realised that June 5th was just one “day” in that week. World Ocean Day is on June 8th, and Coral Triangle Day is on June 9th.

And I started to wonder, what have all these “days” achieved in raising awareness about the importance of, and threats to, our ecosystems? Judging by the amount of trash we picked up this morning, not much, is the depressing answer.

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

140 people joined the effort, and between them they collected 1,074 kg of trash in just one hour. The usual culprits – plastic bottles, diapers (yuck!), cans, food wrappers and so on. Surprisingly few straws, though. Maybe that campaign has had an impact!

But here’s the rub. I can almost guarantee that if I go out to the same location next week I will face the same rubbish-strewn beach and – particularly – mangrove forest.

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

Because a lot of what we found looked like it was deliberately thrown there. We were pulling out plastic bags full of what I will call “picnic trash” – food wrappers, plastic bottles, cutlery – all nicely packed in a bag…and then carelessly discarded on departure.

Does that sound judgemental? Does it sound like a huge assumption?

Come, visit, I’ll show you, and I am quite sure you will find yourself in agreement.

I acknowledge that some beach trash arrives from the ocean; I get it, and I have seen it in many places. But this was in a mangrove back from the main beach; near the parking lot, and on a road out. I’m sorry, but not all that stuff came from the sea, having been discarded elsewhere. Not to mention all the “picnic trash” that we DID pick up ON the beach.

About 4 years ago, we (Reef Check Malaysia) decided to get more involved in the issue of marine debris, particularly plastic. Because it was becoming such a big problem that beach clean-ups alone weren’t going to solve it. So we started to work with various stakeholders to look at plans to remove single use plastics, move to a circular economy, raise awareness, etc., and maybe, one day, see an end to the need for beach clean-ups.

At the time, our (unofficial) slogan was “no more beach clean-ups in 10 years” – because, to quote a line often attributed to Einstein but which one source attributes to writer Rita Mae Brown, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. And that is what we were doing – lots of beach clean-ups…but nothing seemed to change.

This all became horribly apparent that morning on seeing the mess on the beach but – more particularly – in the mangrove. It was awful, truly awful.

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

Many of the volunteers were on their first clean-up, and were surprised at the amount of trash in there. And when I talked to them about how mangroves are actually an important source of food and other ecosystem services - you could almost see light bulbs going on. While pulling trash out they were unearthing crabs (squeals!!) and asking “are these edible?”

Connections being made.

They got it.

So why are some of us such inveterate litterers that we just discard all this trash with no thought for the impact it will have – not just on the aesthetics of the place, but on the survival of the ecosystems? And ultimately, us?

I found several mangrove roots that were being strangled inside plastic bags that prevented them from growing properly. And I have seen the same on coral reefs where plastic bags cover corals - blocking off sunlight and killing them.

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

What do we need to say to get people to change this awful habit? Because like I said, I’m not sure that the message is getting through. I’m not sure we have made any progress – half way into our 10-year timescale. I’m all for raising awareness, which is what all these “days” are for; but it isn’t working and we need to fix it – see quotation above!

One of the participants has just returned from a safari holiday in Tanzania. He was relating to me how, on arrival, you are told “leave all the plastic behind in the airport because it isn’t allowed where you are going”. Strict regulations, emphatically enforced.

Another participant was telling me about a tourist spot outside Kuala Lumpur that is managed by one old man who insists that visitors take their trash with them. Because he cares enough to enforce some common sense guidelines.

We need to find a way to better enforce regulations – it won’t come as a surprise that there were signs all over the beach announcing the fines for littering. Yeah, that’s working.

And we need to find a way to get more people to care.

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

As David Attenborough said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”.

So let’s keep those “days” coming – but work hard to get more and more people involved, so they can experience nature for themselves, and start to develop a sense of ownership.

Companies, schools, social groups – when you ask “what can we do to help?” the answer is – go organise a clean-up. Bring some people and let them see for themselves how we are trashing the ONE PLACE WE HAVE TO LIVE. Get that awareness raised, and keep doing it until it changes.

Government. Sorry, but things need to improve. Yes, people are littering on beaches. But is it not also true that household segregation and recycling rates are woeful? How many households even bother? And why not? Recycling infrastructure can still be improved, education can still be improved…and how about some enforcement of Act 672?

Photo credit: Yayasan Sime Darby

Shameless plug for our own event – sign up for International Coastal Clean-up Day with us – it’s happening in September - usually the third weekend but that coincides with Malaysia Day so we are having it the weekend before this year.

If you are keen to join, fill in the form here. Contact us for more details here.

Mersing Heart of the Ocean: January-March 2022

The Mersing islands initiative is supported by MISC Group through its Heart of the Ocean marine biodiversity conservation programme, which aims to improve ocean health by supporting coral reef conservation, increase reef resilience, and reduce plastic litter in our ocean.

The Current Situation

REEF CHECK SURVEYS IN MERSING ISLANDS EXPAND TO 29 SITES

Last year, Reef Check surveys around the Mersing islands have expanded from 26 to 29 sites, including two new sites off Pulau Lima.

Reef Check Malaysia, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries Johor, has surveyed sites at Pulau Sibu, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Aur and Pulau Lima in August and September 2021.

Thanks to Tengah Island Conservation, a non-profit marine conservation organisation located on Pulau Tengah, the surveys were done successfully together with volunteers from the Mersing islands.

The 2021 Reef Check surveys revealed that Mersing’s average coral cover remained in a 'fair' condition at approximately 43%, although slightly decreased from 45% in 2020.

Over the years, coral cover around the Mersing islands has been gradually declining. Conversely, disturbance and pollution indicators have been on the rise.

Although not conclusive, the gradual decline in the average coral cover is likely due to natural and human impacts such as rough weather condition, high sedimentation, coral predators, destructive fishing practices and tourism activities.

This year, we plan to increase our survey sites to 32, better representing Mersing’s coral reef health condition.

YEARLY REEF CHECK SURVEY FINDINGS MAKE AN IMPACT ON BUILDING CONSTANT AWARENESS OF REEF CONSERVATION

In December last year, we shared our 2021 Reef Check survey findings in a workshop with Mersing islands' local tourism players, including island representatives and operators of chalets, boats and island hopping activities.

Reef Check Malaysia co-organised the workshop with Tourism Johor and Mersing Tourism Association, focusing on introducing various natural tourism products in Mersing and highlighting the responsibilities of tourism operators to protect the environment, especially the coral reef ecosystem.

The workshop has generated greater interest among the participants towards playing a more active role in protecting and conserving the Mersing islands’ coral reef ecosystem as well as reducing human impacts from tourism-related activities.

We will continue sharing our survey findings with other local stakeholders in the coming months to build awareness on the current health of Mersing islands' coral reef ecosystem and encourage greater participation among the local communities to proactively protect and conserve them.

OUT & ABOUT

MONTHLY BEACH CLEAN-UP ROLLS OUT

We have started a new monthly beach clean-up programme, kicking it off at Pantai Bandar Mersing with 568 kg of marine debris collected between January to March.

Marine debris is one of the main environmental threats to Mersing's coastal environment, particularly to the beaches.

The monthly beach clean-up programme aims to build the local communities’ awareness and participation to help address the marine debris issue in Mersing.

A total of 29 participants including local youths and staff of Hotel Seri Malaysia Mersing has joined our clean-up session. Most of the debris collected were plastic-based materials such as bags, bottles, wrappings and styrofoam.

Updates from Sabah: January-March 2022

PILOT PROJECT: INTRODUCING A WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON LARAPAN ISLAND, SEMPORNA

Early this year, we conducted several activities for our Pilot Waste Management System on Larapan Island, including:

• Site visits to Larapan and briefing on the project with the village head. JPKK is in support of the project.

• Identified and consulted 30 houses for the initial replication of waste management 

• Identified a site for segregation which we will use to build a waste segregation area

• A trial of the daily waste collection system with 30 houses

Briefing and consultation on Pilot Waste Management Program for Larapan Island.

Daily waste collection at Larapan Island coordinated by Larapan Youth Club.

capacity building for rural communities in kg. baru-baru, tuaran

As part of our collaboration with SEADLING, we organized workshops in January and March for the local community in Kg. Baru-Baru, Tuaran.

This effort was done to teach them about the marine ecosystem which includes marine resources that can be found in their area, its importance, the threats its facing and how we can conserve it.

Liyana Izwin from Marine Research Foundation (MRF) to share about turtles in Malaysia and their conservation efforts.

learning opportunity to IMPROVE livelihoods in kg. song-song

We conducted the final training for 12 ladies from Kg. Song-Song at the end of March, as part of the APPGM-SDG project.

The participants experienced a Food Handling Course, providing a lifetime certification. Most of the participants are full-time housewives, but still eager to learn and explore opportunities to earn income for their families.

Cintai Mantanani: January-March 2022

Cintai Mantanani is a long-term effort by Reef Check Malaysia, which strives to ensure the community's economic well-being while protecting our marine environment. Currently, we have a team of three based on Mantanani Island running the projects on the ground relating to waste management, plastic recycling, alternative livelihoods, and community-based tourism. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Sending out recyclable items to recycling factory in K.K.

Collection by our Daily Waste Collection Team.

Household representative received their certificates.

12,961 kg of waste were successfully collected from January to March this year through the daily waste collection system we've started on the island in 2018.

We want to thank Coca Cola Foundation for supporting the running of this waste management programme and Seiko for funding this programme for the last three months.

We have identified 61 households that achieved the “Excellence” rating in their waste management participation. We have awarded each of them a certificate to recognize their efforts in segregation and participation for 2021.

strengthening community-based eco-tourism

We recently conducted an 8-day Eco-friendly Guide Training for 19 local islanders. This training is an in-house guide training that contains four modules tailored for Mantanani Islanders, which covers topics such as snorkeling, birding, hiking, trekking, and island hopping.

Upon completing the Eco-friendly Guide Training, all participants attended a 2-day First Aid Emergency Training, delivered by a trainer from Red Cross Sabah.

The training is all part of our efforts to strengthen the community-based eco-tourism on the island.

Practical training on setting up tents.

Participants learned how to conduct CPR.

Homestay programme

Sharing session between the chair of Tegudon Tourism Village and the homestay participants.

Nature walking around the mangroves; one of the tourism product offered by award winning Misompuru Homestay Kudat

As part of our ongoing mentoring programme for the local homestay operators on the island, we recently organised a study trip for Homestays Mantanani.

We visited two industry experts, the Misompuru Homestay Kudat and Tegudon Tourism Village, to help the Mantanani homestay operators to learn about leading the establishment of a community-based eco-tourism on the island.

STEPS FORWARD FOR Alternative Livelihood

Kak Mainah at BFI Market showcasing their VCO products.

A representative from Mantanani Island, Kak Mainah, attended the ‘Buy for Impact Market’ event in Kuala Lumpur to showcase one of the island’s local products, the Virgin Coconut Oil.

Joining this event was a huge achievement for those involved in this initiative.

Fresh vegetables harvested by the Kebun Komuniti team.

At the same time, our Kebun Komuniti team is reaping the rewards of their hard work. They can continually harvest fresh vegetables for their consumption!

Cintai Tioman: January-March 2022

Cintai Tioman is a 10-year programme designed to enhance the resilience of coral reefs and the community on Pulau Tioman. Reef Check Malaysia, with the help of Yayasan Sime Darby as a sponsor, aims to meet several objectives through the programme, including:

• Reducing local impacts on the reefs

• Building capacity of the local community and empowering them to take more significant roles in coral reef conservation and management

• IUCN Green List Accreditation for Tioman Island Marine Park

BOOSTING SAFETY & LEADERSHIP IN TIOMAN GUIDES

We organised a ‘Safe and Leadership’ course from 15-17 February, conducted by the Malaysia Nature Guide Association (MANAGA). This course is an extension of part I of the Basic Guide Course, which trains participants to be more confident in guiding and performing movements in a safe and correct order.

A total of 17 participants from Kampung Juara, Kampung Air Batang, Kampung Salang, Kampung Tekek and Kampung Mukut participated in this course, which was held in Kampung Juara.

Ghost Net Removals

Building awareness from young

After receiving numerous reports of ghost nets sightings, together with TMCG, the Department of Fisheries Pahang, dive shop operators, and the Tioman community, we have removed an estimated 1,000kg of ghost nets around Tioman Island.

The irresponsible behavior of some parties who throw nets that are no longer in use into the sea leaves these nets drifting and causing harm to marine life. Several turtles have died from being caught in these nets, also known as drift nets.

In January, our team brought the students from Tabika Kemas Kampung Tekek and kids from Kampung Juara to visit the habitat of the Flying Fox (Pteropus Hypomelanus).

During the programme, we explained the importance of protecting and conserving the Flying Foxes and preventing opportunistic killings. We hope that this session can provide the younger children with knowledge of the importance of the ecosystems on Tioman Island.

Workshop on Responsible Tourism & Co-management

environmentally-friendly resorts/chalets on tioman

A workshop was organized for tourism industry players on Tioman Island to convey the role and responsibilities of tourism, the introduction of the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard, and the tourism market changes after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, we also held a meeting with all TMCG members in each village to explain the function of a marine park and conservation work on Tioman Island.

We recently conducted the Green Hotel assessments in several resorts on Tioman to evaluate the differences between the improvement suggestions made last year and the results of actions taken this year.

Ten additional resorts are now a part of this program, which aims to encourage resort and chalet operators to conduct business operations in an environmentally-friendly manner and save energy.

The Road to 30x30: The Scope for Malaysia to Increase Coverage of MPAs

I find myself returning to the discussions surrounding the draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework and how it will affect Malaysia. Given the ambitious targets being discussed for extending marine protection, we need to look at how Malaysia might be able to increase the coverage of protected areas, in line with what is being negotiated at the CBD. And it isn’t going to be easy. There seem to be two main issues:

• What is the target and baseline?

• How can we ensure that management is effective in new sites?

Targets and Baselines

 Target 3 of an early draft of the post 2020 framework stipulates that, by 2030,

“at least 30 per cent of land areas and of sea areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity are conserved”.

This is the so-called “30x30” target.

The proposed target received opposition from a number of countries, including Malaysia. The argument goes that, since we only achieved half of the Aichi Target for marine protection (approximately 5% of marine areas protected against a target of 10%), how realistic is it that Malaysia could achieve such an ambitious target as 30% of its marine area?

 But since the first draft of the framework was published, the discussion has become more nuanced. For example, one interpretation of the 30x30 target is that 30% of the entirety of the world’s ocean should be in protected areas. So let’s set up a few very large protected areas in the Antarctic Ocean, Pacific, North and South Atlantic…It is easy to envisage several very large protected areas covering 30% of the ocean – in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Job done.

But then…what is Malaysia’s obligation to protect marine ecosystems within its own waters if the 30% target has already been achieved.

So clearly the 30% global target needs to be refined, and perhaps interpreted in a local context. Perhaps the focus should be finding out where these marine ecosystems are actually located and then establishing appropriate protected areas that are scientifically based but also practical. This might allow a target of protecting 30% of our “areas of particular importance for biodiversity”.

In Peninsular Malaysia, this is largely the coastal mangroves, shallow water seagrass beds and coral reefs that surround the islands off the East coast. There are similar small areas of reef off the West coast – around the Sembilan islands for example. Coral reefs in Sabah and Sarawak are more extensive, including more patch reefs as well as fringing reefs around islands. The two states also have extensive mangroves and sea grass beds, but once again much is found in shallow coastal waters.

So step one: develop a better map of where these marine resources are, how extensive they are, what condition they are in – and then we can decide “30% of what?” question. This would have the added benefit of clarifying target 2, which talks about restoring 20% of degraded ecosystems…but if we don’t know how much ecosystem we have, and how much is degraded, how do we know what the 20% is??

Management Effectiveness

Ok, so it is possible to envisage a target which is a realistic interpretation of the 30x30 target. So how are we going to establish and manage new MPAs – and do so effectively?

Marine Parks are long-established at numerous locations around the coastline Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia, the Marine Parks are focused on the islands off the East coast as well as Pulau Payar, near Langkawi. The approach followed involves creating a “no-take zone” of (mainly) 2 nautical miles from low water mark out to sea – like a 2 nautical mile wide donut around the island. In Sabah and Sarawak, similar protected areas have been established around islands and offshore areas.

But if a significant proportion of “areas of particular importance for biodiversity” are already within these existing protected areas, how will Malaysia increase protected areas, as envisaged in the post-2020 framework? It seems we will have to develop a new approach and look further – to marine ecosystems further off-shore, and wider – to integrate other marine ecosystems into managed areas.

Charts of the waters around Malaysia show plentiful areas where there are shoals that are likely to be home to coral reefs – off Kuantan, for example but also off the coasts of Sabah and Sarawak. These areas – which are likely to be important for biological connectivity between ecosystems, remain largely unprotected. Furthermore, these are only coral reef areas and do not encompass coastal mangroves nor seagrass beds.

 The approach used in Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Sabah, provides a model that might be adapted for use in other parts of Malaysia. TMP is the largest marine protected area in Malaysia. Through a multi-stakeholder consultation process, a system was developed that protects vulnerable ecosystems but also allows for continuing use by local communities. A similar “seascape” approach could be used in other areas – and provides the opportunity to manage marine ecosystems holistically, linking mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs, and protecting biological connectivity between these ecosystems. Such an approach is currently being considered for the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia under a GEF-funded project to address trans-boundary fisheries issues in the Gulf of Thailand.

Managing such large areas represents a significant challenge. Many of the existing Marine Parks are relatively small protected areas, mainly focusing on protecting coral reefs. They are on islands that provide a base for a management authority to work from, such as conducting patrols and enforcement activities. Also – many are popular tourism destinations, so funds can be raised from visitors to pay for management. Finally, they are managed by a single agency – Marine Parks section of Department of Fisheries in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Parks in Sabah and Sarawak Forestry Corporation in Sarawak.

The “seascape” approach considers larger (including remote) areas, multiple stakeholders and multiple uses. Such an approach would cut across jurisdictions – federal and state, agency against agency. It is likely to involve conflicts between different users. It could allow extractive activities such as fishing.

Given that most experience in managing marine protected areas in Malaysia deals with small MPAs around islands, it is clear that existing management approaches are unlikely to be adequate for large marine protected areas – nor would they be effective.

Adopting the “seascape” approach will allow Malaysia to achieve greater protection of marine ecosystems. But it will require new management structures and approaches to cater for the multiplicity of interests that will be encountered.

Next Steps

There are other issues that will need to be addressed as Malaysia looks to protect a larger proportion of its marine estate – such as funding, user conflicts and governance.

But the seascape approach outlined above perhaps creates a framework for proceeding to establish new protected areas that meets several needs - including the drive to improve biodiversity conservation, ensure management effectiveness and take into account the demands of multiple users. It is one that has been successful both in Malaysia and internationally (e.g. the Birds Head seascape in Indonesia, the Lau Seascape in Fiji and the Sulu-Sulawesi seascape in Philippines/Malaysia), providing a strong scientific and management basis for progress.

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: implications for marine resource conservation in Malaysia

Later this year, the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will meet to agree on a new 10-year plan to preserve and protect nature and its essential services to people. What will this mean for Malaysia, and how will Malaysia adapt to the new framework?

The Aichi Targets

Why a “new” 10-year plan? Basically because the old one expired.

In 2010, the Parties to the CBD – of which Malaysia is one – adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, a ten-year framework for action by all countries and stakeholders to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people. As part of the Strategic Plan, 20 ambitious but realistic targets, known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, were adopted (it is called so because this happened at a meeting in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan).

Governments committed to establishing national targets in support of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The development of national targets and their incorporation into updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) is a key process in fulfilling the commitments set out in the Strategic Plan. These documents reflect how a country intends to fulfil the objectives of the CBD and the concrete actions it intends to take. In Malaysia, the NBSAP is the National Policy on Biological Diversity (2016-2025), currently under review.

Of the 20 targets, two had particular relevance in the marine field:

• Target 10: By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimized, so as to maintain their integrity and functioning.

• Target 11: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascapes.

Working with the Marine Park authorities, in 2015 Reef Check Malaysia developed action plans to address the key anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs as per target 10. These ranged from pollution caused by poor waste management and sewage treatment to oil spills and ship groundings. We are still actively implementing some of these action plans, together with the Marine Park authorities.

Under target 11, estimates of the percentage of marine ecosystems conserved in protected areas vary, due to imprecise definitions, but is generally accepted to be around 5% in Malaysia.

A new framework: the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

With the expiry of the Aichi Targets in 2020, a new framework is being developed and negotiated for the period 2021-2030, with the same long-term vision “living in harmony with nature” where

“by 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”.

In mid-2021, the Secretariat of the UN CBD released the first draft of the new framework – the “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”, which will guide actions worldwide through to 2030. The draft was prepared following more than two years of intensive consultative process with experts and stakeholders and is currently undergoing final revisions. The final draft will then be presented for consideration at the CBD’s next meeting of its 196 Parties at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP-15), planned for the middle of this year in Kunming, China.

The Framework comprises 21 targets and 10 milestones proposed for 2030. Key targets include:

• Ensure that at least 30 per cent globally of land areas and of sea areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes. (Target 3)

• Use ecosystem-based approaches to contribute to mitigation and adaptation to climate change, contributing at least 10 GtCO2e per year to global mitigation efforts; and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts avoid negative impacts on biodiversity. (Target 8)

• Redirect, repurpose, reform or eliminate incentives harmful to biodiversity in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least $500 billion per year. (Target 18)

• Increase financial resources from all sources to at least US$200 billion per year, including new, additional and effective financial resources, increasing by at least US$10 billion per year international financial flows to developing countries, leveraging private finance, and increasing domestic resource mobilization, taking into account national biodiversity finance planning (Target 19).

The “30 by 30” movement

One target that is causing particular concern is the “30 by 30” target. As quoted above, target 3 of the draft Framework requires that 30% globally of land and sea areas should be protected by 2030.

Which raises the question: 30% of what, exactly? Territorial seas? The EEZ? The entire world’s ocean? One interpretation of “30%” protected is that it means 30% of a country’s EEZ. In Malaysia’s case this causes a huge problem because, being a coastal nation, the country’s EEZ is bigger than its land area. Is it realistic for Malaysia to be able to establish effective protection of 30% of that amount of ocean?

In the marine sector, the target is being supported by, among others, the Global Ocean Alliance (GOA), a 71-strong country alliance, led by the United Kingdom, calling for commitments to protect 30% of the ocean. According to the GOA, “a future global 30 by 30 target would be met by a network of MPAs spread across both countries’ EEZ and areas beyond national jurisdiction. It is therefore not a requirement for each country necessarily to protect 30% of their waters”.

But if 30% can be achieved by establishing a number of very large Marine Protected Areas – without any input from Malaysia – what is Malaysia’s obligation?

Alternatives have been put forward, some of which define the 30% more clearly, for example by focusing on marine ecosystems, rather than the vague “sea areas”. In one example, the Target 3 text reads “ensure that at least 30 per cent globally of terrestrial, including freshwater, and of marine ecosystems, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are effectively and equitably conserved…”

This might seem like semantics – but language is important in institutions like the CBD. Decisions are collegiate – everyone has to sign up for them; lack of clarity causes confusion and makes the process difficult. And targets that some parties find unrealistic have the potential to cause conflict in the system.

So where does Malaysia sit?

At the moment, due to the lack of clarity in the language used, Malaysia appears to be hesitant to sign up to the broad 30% target, partly due to the current low achievement against the Aichi target – Malaysia only got halfway to the target when it was 10%; how on earth would Malaysia reach 30%? This seems to me like a sensible position to adopt.

But the 30% is supported by scientists who say that effective protection of ecosystems and maintenance of ecosystem services – which society relies on – needs 30% of ecosystems to be protected.

An acceptable alternative?

What would an alternative look like? Perhaps the focus should be on the question of ecosystems, as highlighted in recently proposed texts.

Most of Malaysia’s marine ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass, coral reefs) that are “of particular importance for biodiversity” are coastal, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia. So why should Malaysia consider protecting vast swathes of the sea bed that has very little value in terms of ecosystems? Yes, these areas need to be managed for fisheries, but not to protect ecosystems and the habitat they provide.

It might be more appropriate to define the 30% in terms that are locally relevant. Leave the 30% in the framework – as noted, it is supported by science. But empower countries to focus on protecting 30% of important marine ecosystems – in Malaysia’s case, the coastal ecosystems. This is a much smaller area than 30% of the EEZ – but it is much more targeted, and therefore likely to be more effective, and it is certainly a more realistic target.

Encouragingly, there are indications that this is the approach that the CBD is taking. In a paper on the proposed monitoring framework for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the proposed disaggregation for Target 3 include that the area is calculated based on ecosystems, key biodiversity area, and/or by effectiveness category.

Given the growing impacts of climate change and the rate of biodiversity loss, urgent steps are needed to protect important ecosystems from further damage. A new biodiversity conservation framework is required, however, it would need to be flexible enough for national governments to arrive at the intended goal at a realistic pace.

More alternative livelihoods for the communities in Sabah

On our latest collaboration with Seadling, we have been invited to organize a capacity building programme for the local communities in Kg. Baru-baru, Tuaran to teach them about the marine ecosystems which includes marine resources that can be found in their area, its importance and the threats its facing and how we can conserve it.

We hope to engage with them in future workshops to continue equipping them with knowledge and understanding towards our marine ecosystems and current environmental issues.

Seadling is developing an alternative livelihood programme for the local fishermen to transition from offshore fishing to sustainable seaweed farming.

Mersing Heart of the Ocean : October-December 2021

Our Mersing islands initiative is supported by MISC Group through its Heart of the Ocean marine biodiversity conservation programme, which aims to improve ocean health by supporting coral reef conservation, increase reef resilience, and reduce plastic litter in our ocean.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

MERSING ISLANDS' CORAL REEFS in ‘fair’ condition

Last year, we expanded the Reef Check surveys around the Mersing islands to 29 sites, including two new sites off Pulau Lima.

Our team, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries Johor, has surveyed sites at Pulau Sibu, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Aur and Pulau Lima in August and September 2021.

Thanks to Tengah Island Conservation, a non-profit marine conservation organisation located on Pulau Tengah, the surveys were done successfully together with volunteers from the Mersing islands.

The 2021 Reef Check surveys revealed that Mersing’s average coral cover remained in a 'fair' condition at approximately 43%, although slightly decreased from 45% in 2020.

Coral Cover Category:

Over the years, coral cover around the Mersing islands has been gradually declining. Conversely, disturbance and pollution indicators have been on the rise.

Although not conclusive, the gradual decline in the average coral cover is likely due to natural and human impacts such as rough weather condition, high sedimentation, coral predators, destructive fishing practices and tourism activities.

This year, we plan to increase our survey sites to 32, better representing Mersing’s coral reef health condition.

So, how do our yearly Reef Check survey findings BUILD AWARENESS towards coral reef conservation in the Mersing Islands?

In December last year, we shared our 2021 Reef Check survey findings in a workshop with Mersing islands' local tourism players, including island representatives and operators of chalets, boats and island hopping activities.

Reef Check Malaysia co-organised the workshop with Tourism Johor and Mersing Tourism Association, focusing on introducing various natural tourism products in Mersing and highlighting the responsibilities of tourism operators to protect the environment, especially the coral reef ecosystem.

The workshop has generated greater interest among the participants towards playing a more active role in protecting and conserving the Mersing islands’ coral reef ecosystem as well as reducing human impacts from tourism-related activities.

We will continue sharing our survey findings with other local stakeholders in the coming months to build awareness on the current health of Mersing islands' coral reef ecosystem and encourage greater participation among the local communities to proactively protect and conserve them.

OUT & about

MONTHLY BEACH CLEAN-UP ROLLS OUT

We have started a new monthly beach clean-up programme, kicking it off at Pantai Bandar Mersing with 568 kg of marine debris collected between January to March .

Marine debris is one of the main environmental threats to Mersing's coastal environment, particularly to the beaches.

The monthly beach clean-up programme aims to build the local communities’ awareness and participation to help address the marine debris issue in Mersing.

A total of 29 participants including local youths and staff of Hotel Seri Malaysia Mersing has joined our clean-up session. Most of the debris collected were plastic-based materials such as bags, bottles, wrappings and styrofoam.

Reefs and Tourism: How do we “build back better” with tourism in mind?

This is the second of two articles looking at the impacts of tourism on coral reefs and how the tourism market that is emerging post-Covid could be a boon for both reefs and the local communities that rely on them.

Over the last few decades, tourism has become an intrinsic and important part of many economies; this cannot be denied. This is particularly true in South East Asia, where islands that have become popular tourism destinations are suffering economically due to the collapse of tourism that followed the pandemic.

Or are they suffering?

I am certainly not going to deny that some communities are facing severe hardship as tourists stay away. But…as I mentioned in the previous article, a recent trip to Tioman island (one of those popular destinations) revealed that actually, the local residents are quite relaxed about things – they seem quite happy that they have “got their home back”.  

Malaysia, among other countries in the region, has seen massive growth in tourism. You only have to visit islands like Mantanani, which saw the number of day trippers grow from 50 per day to as many as 3,000 per day over a 10-year period. Clearly there are going to be impacts.

So how do we balance the impacts that tourism has – on ecosystems and communities – against the economic benefits? Do the benefits accrue to the host communities…or do they benefit a small number of corporations? Is unfettered tourism growth really the way forward, or are there different paths?

Let’s add tourism trends into the mix. Numerous industry studies all point to the same thing: tourism is going sustainable. What will the future tourism market look like? And are we adjusting to that new market?

According to the OECD report “Tourism Trends and Policies 2020”, top policy priorities seek to maximise the economic, environmental and social benefits that tourism can bring, while reducing the pressures that arise when this growth is unplanned and unmanaged. For example, efforts have been made to deal effectively with overcrowding at popular destinations, spread the economic and other benefits to areas that attract fewer visitors, develop new products to expand the season, and encourage increased productivity, better resource use, and more stable employment.

To ensure these policies are actually having the desired impact, countries are:

• strengthening co-ordination and implementation mechanisms

• reforming destination management practices

• modernising regulations

• adopting digital solutions

• strengthening dialogue with civil society

• engaging the private sector in policy making

Governments are actively fostering tourism development that brings clear economic benefits, while also providing a wider set of advantages for places, local communities, businesses, employees, and visitors. Tourism success can no longer simply be measured in terms of arrivals, jobs and income. Ensuring that local communities can more equally benefit from tourism is a prevailing policy trend and progress has been made.

A review of the tourism industry by specialist on-line tour company Regiondo identified active ecotourism, transformative travel, experience tourism and wellness travel as among 12 trends that are expected to shape the travel industry beyond 2022.

Active Ecotourism has emerged in response to calls for more sustainable and thoughtful tourism. It encourages combining the passion for travel with direct involvement in conservation and supporting the local environment.

According to a recent Amadeus survey on rebuilding travel, people consider cost-effective sustainable travel a priority. 37% of travellers surveyed think opportunities for travellers to be involved in the preservation of tourist destinations will help the industry to become more sustainable in the long term.

According to Evolve’s 2022 travel forecasts, 58% of people will be more interested in exploring the outdoors and practicing relevant activities including hiking, biking, and kayaking. Mountain/rural escapes and waterfront getaways are expected to be popular vacation experiences in the future.

These views are echoed in other industry commentaries, such as Revfine, which says that today’s tourists don’t want to be insulated from the places they visit inside a cultural bubble. They want to engage with and participate in the local culture. From enjoying local cuisine to celebrating regional festivals and holidays, local experiences are set to become some of the top tourist trends to watch. One example of a popular local experience might be a long stay with a host family in the destination country as a means to learn more about the local culture.

Finally, Booking.com’s annual Sustainable Travel Report 2021 indicates a continuing trend for more sustainable travel:

•  83% of global travellers think sustainable travel is vital, with 61% saying the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future

• Almost half (49%) still believe that in 2021, there aren’t enough sustainable travel options available, with 53% admitting they get annoyed if somewhere they are staying stops them from being sustainable, for example by not providing recycling facilities

• Respect for the local community is also high on the list as almost three quarters (73%) want to have authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture when they travel

• 84% believe increasing cultural understanding and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial and 76% want to ensure the economic impact of the industry is spread equally in all levels of society.

• Furthermore, 69% will go as far as avoiding popular destinations and attractions to ensure they aren’t contributing to overcrowding challenges and helping do their part to disperse the positive benefits of travel to less frequently visited destinations and communities.

Our surveys of coral reefs around Malaysia in 2021 have revealed some interesting trends. Some of the data indicate that the health of coral reefs (as measured by hard coral cover) has increased in some areas. Could this be a recovery enabled by less tourists diving and snorkelling on the reefs? That could point to a very important conservation strategy – and equally to a more sustainable approach to tourism.

How does all this relate to Malaysia?

There are calls that echo the “build back better” concept that is widely heard today. But how do we “build back better” with tourism in mind?

It seems that our local competitors (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia) are all actively looking at more sustainable tourism. The Bangkok Tribune reported in November 2021 that the pandemic has:

“created an opportunity for the country to review and recalibrate its environmentally harmful (tourism) model, and turn the focus to biodiversity-based tourism to make it far more sustainable”.

Gone are the days of hordes of beach tourists; a new, more sustainable future is in store for tourism in Thailand. Similar moves are under way in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Perhaps it is time for Malaysia, too, to consider its tourism strategy. Islands such as Tioman remain largely un-developed – though development pressures are increasing, with calls from some quarters for a new airport and additional resorts – to increase the number of visitors four-fold. As pointed out in previous articles, the island’s infrastructure can barely cope during the busy tourism season at current visitor numbers. How will it manage with such an increase?

Perhaps it is time to listen to the market: start to draw up plans for smaller numbers of tourists, but go up the value chain and provide higher-value products that will cater to the emerging market for authentic, local experiences in pristine environments and with close cultural ties. That wouldn’t only meet the needs of tourists…it might just meet the needs of local communities and ecosystems, too.

That’s how to “build back better”.

Reef Check Malaysia - New Logo

Reef Check Malaysia's logo has undergone a transformation and we are proud to present to you our new logo!

Following a re-branding exercise by Reef Check Foundation in the USA, and under the terms of the country agreement we signed with them, we are following their lead and introducing a new look here in Malaysia.

The new branding focuses a little more on the citizen scientist aspect of Reef Check, showing a diver conducting a reef survey. Fonts and colours have also been updated to be more contemporary.

Together with Reef Check Foundation and all the Reef Check chapters around the world, we continue to dedicate our hard work in conserving and improving the health of coral reefs.

Cintai Mantanani: October-December 2021 News

Cintai Mantanani is a long-term effort by Reef Check Malaysia which strives to ensure the economic well-being of the community while protecting our marine environment. Currently, we have a team of three based on Mantanani Island running the projects on the ground relating to waste management, plastic recycling, alternative livehoods, and, community-based tourism.

COMMUNITY-BASED ECOTOURISM

Hospitality Training by Encik Ben Uzair

Reef conservation training with the Mantanani youths

CBET Workshop by Sabah Tourism Board, FeRTAS & MoTAC

upskilling with the community

A total of ten training have been delivered under the Community Based Ecotourism (CBET) Module which is supported by the GEF Small Grants Programme.

74 islanders participated in this series of training which involved experts and experienced trainers on different training topics such as Mandarin, English, turtle and coral reefs conservation, hospitality, digital marketing, basic computer skills and many more.

In 20 November, another CBET workshop was conducted for 50 islanders with the help of Sabah Tourism Board, FeRTAS, and MoTAC. The workshop provided an introduction and understanding on the CBET concept and some of the leading examples in Sabah.

The Homestays Mantanani operators were also able to participate in a hospitality and marketing training conducted by Sabah Tourism Board, MoTAC, and BEFF Suara, which provided the operators with skills and tactics to improve their homestays.

economic recovery programme

NEVER STOP LEARNING - KEBUN KOMUNITI

As part of Yayasan Hasanah’s Economic Recovery Programme to provide alternative livelihoods to the local community, we continue to provide mentoring and training sessions to the Kebun Komuniti members.

In October 2021, we invited Partners of Community Organizations in Sabah (PACOS) to hold an agricultural training session for the Kebun Komuniti team.

Through this training, the members learned about different ways to compost, plant, and create their own organic fertilisers!

Handmade soap with love and care by the VCO team

Training in progress with SOP.CO

transformation in the VIRGIN COCONUT OIL production team

With the virgin coconut oil production going strong and the help of SŌP.CO in guiding the VCO team, now the team has learned how to diversify their VCO products into making soaps, lip balm, and coconut biscuits.

These are all products of the island, made with love and care by a group of local Mantanani islanders.

In December, the VCO team launched the new products on Mantanani Local Products FB Page. Do check out their products!

Cintai Tioman : October-December 2021 News

Cintai Tioman is a 10-year old programme designed to enhance the resilience of coral reefs and social resilience of the community on Pulau Tioman. Reef Check Malaysia, with the help of Yayasan Sime Darby as sponsor, aims to meet several objectives through the programme, including:

• Reducing local impacts to the reefs

• Building capacity of local community and empowering them to take greater roles in coral reef conservation and management

• IUCN Green List Accreditation for Tioman Island Marine Park

Ghost Net Removal

Ghost nets are fishing nets that are abandoned, lost, or dumped at sea. These ghost nets are often caught on coral reefs or continue to drift in the ocean, entangling and killing marine life.

From January to December 2021, a total of 37 nets weighing 4650kg was successfully removed from the reefs around Tioman Island. This effort was made possible by TMCG members and dive centres in Tioman, with funding from the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Ministry of Finance, Tenaka, Little Sarong and Yayasan SIME Darby.

BASIC trekking GUIDE COURSE

A total of 20 islanders from 7 villages in Pulau Tioman participated in a Basic Trekking Guide Course from 27-29 October 2021 at Kampung Mukut. Conducted by the Malaysia Nature Guide Association (MANAGA) and funded by MOF, this course aimed to train and provide new exposure to participants in skills related to guiding tourists and conducting jungle activities safely.

crown-of-thorns injection

The Crown of Thrones (COT) has long, venomous thorns and they eat corals. Some of the reasons for the increase  of COTs are overfishing, increased nutrients in the water and climate change.

From October to December 2021, TMCG members and dive centres killed 406 Cots. Thank you to everyone involved in the effort.

reef rehabilitation

Through out the year TMCG members have been working on our coral nurseries, conducting maintenance and monitoring to ensure that the rehabilitated corals are growing healthily.

Now that we have newly certified TMCG members in the other villages, we plan to extended the reef rehabilitation efforts to other villages next year.

Green Hotel Assessment

Another achievement for 2021 was the successful evaluation of 44 resorts and hotels on Tioman Island under the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard assessment programme.

Each accommodation is rated based on 10 criteria that aims to encourage environmentally friendly business operations that consciously take steps to preserve and conserve the environment.

Eco Diver Course Training

In early October, Reef Check Malaysia organized an EcoDiver course with the Department of Fisheries.

27 participants from that Department and the Association of Administrative and Diplomatic Services were successfully trained as Ecodivers.

As EcoDivers now, they will be able to volunteer in conducting Reef Check surveys and collecting data to assess the health of our reefs.

Reefs and Tourism: Balancing economic benefits against community & ecosystem impacts

This is the first of a two-part piece on the impacts of tourism on coral reefs and how the tourism market that is emerging post-Covid could be a boon for both reefs and the local communities that rely on them.

Previously we have looked at how a number of inter-linked themes have an impact on management of coral reefs: resilience, livelihoods and co-management. But one thing we haven’t considered in any detail is tourism and its impacts on coral reefs. This is particularly appropriate now, given the impact of the pandemic on tourism.

So: reefs and tourism - what’s the issue?

Let’s start off by recognising the importance of tourism to most national economies. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, pre-Covid, Malaysia was receiving around 25-26 million tourists per year; tourism accounted for nearly 10% of GDP and as many as one in four or five jobs, depending on how you measure it. So, big. Important.

And this is especially true of Malaysia’s islands, a magnet for tourists from all over the world – whether hard core divers or people who just want a day on the beach.

Pick an island. Tioman island off the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia is close to my heart. With a population of around 3,700 in seven villages, it receives approximately 250,000 visitors per year. Mantanani island – off the West coast of Sabah in Borneo – has a population of just under 1,000. Tourists? Pre-Covid as many as 3,000 per day. Yeah. We’ll come back to that shortly.

Just as an example of the value of tourism, we have previously estimated that marine-related tourism to the three East coast islands of Tioman, Redang and Perhentian is worth around RM 500 million per year – on accommodation, food, activities; and that doesn’t include related expenditure such as stays in KL, other travel, etc. Islands such as Tioman rely almost 100% on tourism for their economy; on most of the islands there is 100% employment during the season.

So that’s the good news. But there is a down-side to tourism, too, and that is the impact that those hordes of visitors have on the places that they visit.

There is a considerable body of research that describes how large numbers of tourists can harm both ecosystems (physical breakage by divers and snorkelers, pollution from inadequate sewage treatment infrastructure, trash, etc.), and the communities that live on the islands, who, quite often, didn’t really ask for all those tourists in the first place.

Let’s look at that last statement a bit more carefully.

Yes, we have acknowledged the economic benefit of tourism; and yes, most of these communities do welcome tourism, for the jobs it provides. But…do they really welcome mass tourism on the scale they are experiencing? Were they ever consulted on what type of tourism they would support? Did anyone really think about the trajectory of tourist numbers? Who is responsible for regulating tourism, numbers of tourists, operators, etc.? Or do we not care – relying on the mantra “tourism is good for the economy”?

Take Mantanani island as a case study. 10 years ago the island was home to a couple of small backpacker resorts and a voluntourism operator. That was about all there was for accommodation. There were maybe 50 day-trippers who visited the island for a few hours and then returned to the mainland. Just a few people stayed overnight.

Fast forward a few years. Numbers started to grow as the destination became better known. By the end of 2019, just pre-Covid, the island was receiving up to 3,000 visitors per day, brought in by 27 tour operators based in the State capital, Kota Kinabalu. Pick up from your hotel at 7.30; reach the coast by 9.30 and the island by 10.30 or 11…and then depart at about 2.30…having squeezed in a couple of snorkelling trips and a BBQ lunch. A few dozen people now stay overnight in one of several resorts.

While this might be “good business” for the tour operators, and it might be “good for the economy” because of the large volume, we need to take a step back and look at this in more detail, through a different lens – not from the perspective of the tourism industry, but from a local perspective. Several themes emerge:

• Clearly there is damage to ecosystems with large numbers of tourists. Our annual survey data point to a slow, but steady decline in reef health in Malaysia; ok, not all of it is caused by tourists; but the indicators are there that at least some of the damage is.

• During the busy season on many islands, carrying capacity is reached – in the sense that water supplies run out; there are no spare rooms; electricity black-outs can occur. How is this infrastructure going to cope with ever-increasing numbers?

• And let’s not forget the people who actually live there, the local communities. Mantanani island is a remote, conservative community; they don’t necessarily appreciate scantily-clad tourists wondering through their village…but being polite people they don’t say anything; did the powers-that-be understand this would happen when they were planning for ever-increasing tourist numbers?

A recent survey of islanders on Tioman demonstrates quite clearly that local communities support tourism, they want tourism…but they don’t want any more of it.

Suggestions (by outsiders, of course) of doubling or tripling the number of visitors to the island seem not to be aligned with what the locals want. Again the questions: are we thinking about the trajectory of tourism? Is the assumption that we should just keep bringing more tourists a valid one? Should we be asking local communities for their views?

My personal conclusion: managed tourism good; unregulated, uncontrolled tourism bad. Might seem obvious…but we seem to be following the latter model, not the former.

I was on Tioman island recently. I was expecting to find despondency and despair among the community and tourism operators who have basically had no economy for the last 2 years. Instead I found smiling faces and happy people. I asked a friend who runs a resort how has it been – you’d expect her to be desperate, right?  She said: “very nice; very quiet and peaceful, no tourists around”.

The villagers have got their island back – apparently families have been taking day trips, island hopping in the way that tourists do! And they are clearly resilient – they have survived on very little for 2 years…and yet no-one seems to be in a rush to get back to the “good old times” of mass tourism. I think maybe we need to take a long hard look at that.

Part 2 in a couple of weeks on tourism trends and how this should affect our thinking on tourism.

Show up for our ocean this #GivingTuesday

2021 is drawing to a close and where did the year go?

Time seems to fly by as we are slowly recovering from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. Our team at Reef Check Malaysia have been working really hard to complete our planned conservation and community work before the monsoon season hits at the end of the year.

We have spent years building resilience of coral reefs around the islands we work on (Tioman Island, Mantanani Island and the Mersing Islands), improving social and economic resilience of the islanders by reducing their income dependence on marine-related activities, AND we will continue to do so! However, in 2022, we are looking to shift some of our focus to advocacy work.

As the hype from COP 26 in Glasgow is simmering down, we must not lose sight that more work needs to be done to ensure the pledges made by nations and private entities are translated into clear actionable plans to address climate change. Based on the progress (or lack of) from the other climate conferences – Kyoto Accords (1997) and Paris Climate Agreement (2016), we will need to push for quicker and more committed solutions from all parties.

For this year-end giving, we are hoping to raise funds for our advocacy work to mitigate effects of climate change and other anthropogenic pressures on the marine environment. We know better policies in managing fisheries, tourism, and pollution that is science-backed will lead to long-term and sustainable improvements for coral reefs and the associated ecosystems.

On Giving Tuesday (30 November 2021), Global Giving has a pool of USD 1 million matching funds for any amount raised on that day. If you’re able to, please make a donation to support our work. Our target is USD 5,000 and if 200 people donate just USD 25 to our cause, we will be able to spend time on public advocacy and awareness on effects of climate change on coral reefs.

If you wish to contribute to our cause, you can donate to us at the link below:

If you’re unable to donate at this time, there are other ways you can support us! You can advocate for our work by sharing our project with family members, colleagues, or friends. Even a quick mention on your social media would mean the world to us. We have prepared a digital toolkit just for you:

Thank you for being a part of our community and contributing to the ocean health. Happy holidays and here’s to a healthier 2022!

Mersing Heart of the Ocean : July-September 2021 News

Our Mersing Islands initiative is supported by MISC Group through its Heart of the Ocean marine biodiversity conservation programme, which aims to improve ocean health by supporting coral reef conservation, increase reef resilience, and reduce plastic litter in our ocean.

Getting to know the coral reefs

Since 2007, Reef Check Malaysia has been conducting coral reef surveys in Johor around the Mersing Islands.

Through continuous partnership with the Department of Fisheries and supported by Majlis Daerah Mersing, our survey every year aims to answer these questions:

• What is the current condition & health of the reefs?

• What are the impacts these reefs are facing?

Our survey findings also provide crucial information to local agencies and marine park managers to make informed decisions that would help improve the Mersing Islands marine park's condition.

Sharing our survey findings with the island communities also helps to increase their awareness and understanding about the current condition of the reefs surrounding their island.

What do we look for during a reef survey?

Other than coral cover and indicator species survey, the impact survey is also conducted to identify and record incidents due to the impact of human activities on corals such as ghost nets, anchor damage and pollution.

The photos on the right are some examples of damages observed during our recent reef survey.

What do our results say about the mersing islands’ coral reefs?

The Mersing Islands are home to many beautiful and unique reefs. We have surveyed up to 27 reef sites in the area last year, covering islands such as:

• Pulau Sibu

• Pulau Tinggi

• Pulau Besar

• Pulau Pemanggil

• Pulau Aur

• Pulau Dayang

In 2020, we learned that the average coral cover was around 45%, which means that the reefs are considered to be in "fair" condition. With our current conservation efforts, we hope to improve the condition of the reefs in the Mersing Islands over time.

Many of you may be wondering, with less activities in the waters in the past 2 years, is the health of our coral reefs improving?

We are curious about this too! Just recently, we have completed our reef surveys with two additional reef sites for 2021 and currently in the process of analysing the data. We hope you will look forward to the survey findings which we will share in our next newsletter.

In the coming months, our team in the Mersing Islands will be reaching out to various stakeholders to communicate our survey findings, in hopes to increase public participation and support towards marine conservation efforts.

beach cleanup

International Coastal Cleanup Day was celebrated in the month of September as part of a global initiative to raise awareness about ocean pollution, educate the public on the importance of keeping our waters clean and safe for marine life, and inspire the community to volunteer and be part of the action.

In an effort to keep the beaches and the ocean free of trash, we spent some of our time on land to clean up the beach after one of our reef surveys at Pulau Tinggi.

In a small team of 3, we collected up to 13 kg of trash in just half an hour. A simple activity like this can help protect our reefs in a small but meaningful way.

water quality survey

In addition to the coral reef surveys, we have also conducted water quality surveys with the Department of Fisheries to determine the nutrient levels of the waters in Pulau Sibu, Tinggi, Besar, Pemanggil, and Aur.

At each site, we collected water samples and physical parameter data which will then be transported to the laboratory for further analysis and processing.

We hope that the results of the water quality survey would enable us to better understand the condition of the waters on and surrounding the islands and how it is affecting the health of the surrounding ecosystems, including the coral reefs.

Climate change is real and it’s happening – right outside our front door

In recent articles, we have talked about the importance of three inter-locking themes in marine conservation:

• Resilience: building the natural capacity of coral reefs to resist or recover from external disturbances, specifically climate change

• Livelihoods: sustainable, equitable livelihoods for local communities in coral reef areas, ensuring they benefit from these natural assets

• Co-management: giving local communities a meaningful voice in marine management, including those decisions that affect their lives

This article focuses in a little more on threats to coral reefs and other marine ecosystems, and what we can do to eliminate or mitigate the impact of these threats.

We divide threats to coral reefs into two broad categories:

local in scale and global in scale.

Local threats arise largely as a result of human activities and land use changes along coastlines adjacent to coral reefs. Local threats to coral reefs are many, and the impacts on coral reefs are reasonably well understood. They include:

• Over-fishing, which can result in detrimental changes to reef ecology

• Destructive fishing (such as dynamite and cyanide fishing), which destroys the reef structure and hinders recovery

• Coastal development, releasing silt and sediment that can smother reefs and alter hydrological flows

• Pollution, from industrial and agricultural activities as well as sewage pollution

• Physical impacts from tourism, including divers, snorkelers and boats

In Malaysia, the Marine Parks section of the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Sabah Parks and Sarawak Forestry Corporation are tasked with managing these local threats to their protected reef areas.

These local threats can be managed or mitigated in a variety of ways, including:

• Awareness campaigns for local stakeholders and tourists, to encourage more “reef-friendly” behaviour

• More effective patrolling and enforcement activities to reduce encroachment in protected areas

• Improved planning to ensure that coastal development in coral reef areas is implemented in such a way as to minimise damage to coral reefs, including site selection, site management and remediation measures

• Pollution control measures both upstream (e.g. reduction in fertiliser loads from plantations through rigorous implementation of riparian zone regulations) and locally (e.g. annual septic maintenance programmes; grease traps).

These responses all have two things in common:

• They can be implemented effectively and efficiently at a very local level. In Tioman island, for example, as the Department of Fisheries (DoF)’s Reef Care partner for the island, we are helping the community in one village to reduce poaching of giant clams from the reef immediately adjacent to the village. On a wider basis, we are ensuring that all dive and snorkelling sites have well maintained mooring buoys to eliminate anchor damage. Biologically, we are controlling the number of Crown of Thorns starfish (a coral predator) on the reefs. Finally, we have managed a programme of septic tank improvements, reducing the flow of sewage pollution onto local reefs

• Threat reduction and mitigation is much more effective if local communities are involved in management, because their participation leads to greater ownership of reef health issues, and improved compliance with regulations.

Against these local threats, a number of global threats have emerged over recent years, mainly resulting from the changing climate caused by global warming.  Among these are mass coral bleaching and the impact of more frequent and stronger storms.

The first significant mass coral reef bleaching event reported in Malaysia was in 1998, as a result of which an estimated 40% of corals in reef areas around Peninsular Malaysia died. Reefs had barely recovered before the 2010 mass coral reef bleaching event occurred, which fortunately saw lower coral death rates.

Scientists agree that mass coral reef bleaching is likely to occur with increasing frequency in the coming decades, and there is an urgent need to put in place plans to:

• Respond effectively to mass coral reef bleaching events with management interventions to protect reefs during bleaching events

• Build the “survivability”, or resilience of coral reefs to better withstand future bleaching events

Even more recently, climate change has resulted in stronger storms, which, combined with wind-driven waves and sea-level rise, can have devastating effects. In early 2019, tropical storm Pabuk hit the Terengganu coastline causing significant damage to shallow coral reefs.

In September 2021, a storm in Mantanani island caused damage – in some cases severe – to 11 houses, as wind-driven waves caused beach erosion; others in the village were damaged by strong winds. For coastal communities such as these, climate change isn’t some existential future threat – it’s happening here, right now. And the time to take action is right now.

There is not much that local managers can do about the global threats. But what we can do – and should be doing, as a matter of great urgency, is address the local threats, because they are local and straightforward to fix. No new technologies are required, no great expenditure. Education and awareness programmes will fix a lot of the problems; sensible planning will resolve others; and small investments in infrastructure such as sewage treatment will take care of the rest.

Putting a value on ecosystems such as coral reefs is difficult because they have such a wide variety of different values – from the value of a snorkelling tour for an individual up to the value of coastal protection for an entire island or community. But as they start to repair their homes and jetties, the people of Mantanani can put a value on coral reefs: RM 60,000. That’s the bill for the repairs they are going to have to make. Until the next storm…

Cintai Mantanani : July-September 2021 News

Cintai Mantanani is a long-term effort by Reef Check Malaysia which strives to ensure the economic well-being of the community while protecting our marine environment. Currently, we have a team of three based on Mantanani Island running the projects on the ground relating to waste management, plastic recycling, alternative livehoods, and, community-based tourism.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY PROGRAMME

The Mantanani Economic Recovery Programme is an initiative by Yayasan Hasanah Foundation aimed to support the livelihoods of the local community in Mantanani through creating employment opportunities in various economic activities, such as the Kebun Komuniti and the virgin coconout oil production.

kebun komuniti

Tending to a community garden is no easy job yet the Kebun Komuniti team is doing an incredible job in managing it! They visit the garden every day to water the crops and keep the garden clean.

Despite the setbacks with some of their crops being eaten by animals or stolen, and the slight disruption due to a few Covid-19 cases identified on the island, the members have harvested bags and bags full of fruits and vegetables in the last 3 months. Most of the harvest were sold to the local community members while some were kept for the members own use.

virgin coconut oil production

The virgin coconut oil production members successfully made 3 gallons worth of VCO back in July! Later in September, 15 more bottles of VCO were shipped off to be sold at a local shop on mainland.

Since the start of the programme, the team has generated a total of RM3,201 in sales. While they are only producing the VCOs by request now, the members still look forward to serving their customers and growing their sales.

Waste Management & Plastic Recycling Programme

Since November 2018, our team has worked closely with the community of Mantanani Island to design and demonstrate a waste management system that aims to prevent marine pollution, and ultimately improve the resilience of the island. This programme is made possible with the support of the Coca Cola Foundation and KOSÉ this quarter.

waste management

As there were a few Covid-19 cases identified on the island in late August, we had to halt the daily waste collection operation as our waste management team goes house to house daily to collect household waste and it can put them in high risk. Once the situation on the island was deemed safer, our operation went back on track.

From July to September this year, a total of 16,699.52 kg of trash were collected with from the participating households.

plastic recycling

With the population of roughly around 1,000, we do not have the resources or even the volume to set up a recycling facility here, so sending the recyclables off to mainland, Kota Belud, is the only feasible solution so far.

A total of 22,762 plastic bottles (collected from the month of May to August) were shipped off to the recycling centre on mainland.

As of now, the team has already collected a total of 5,958 of plastic bottles in the September alone.

Cintai Tioman : July-September 2021 News

Cintai Tioman is a 10-year old programme designed to enhance the resilience of coral reefs and social resilience of the community on Pulau Tioman. Reef Check Malaysia, with the help of Yayasan Sime Darby as sponsor, aims to meet several objectives through the programme, including:

• Reducing local impacts to the reefs

• Building capacity of local community and empowering them to take greater roles in coral reef conservation and management

• IUCN Green List Accreditation for Tioman Island Marine Park

Promoting Land-based Activities on Tioman Island

In an effort to reduce pressure on Tioman’s reefs, we are working together with the Tioman community members in boosting existing land-based activities. Seven jungle trekking tracks, one from each village, were upgraded. Some of the works undertaken were removing fallen trees, clearing the path, replacing old ropes with new one, building steps using natural resources where necessary and establishing new look-out point where suitable.

The levels of difficulty, time to complete, unique floras and faunas usually encountered along the path and attractions such as waterfall land look-out points were recorded.

Our next step will be working on marketing strategies. We hope that these often forgotten and unpopular attractions will gain traction and as a result diversify income and reduce dependence on coral reefs.

NEW MEMBERS RECRUITED FOR TMCG!

Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) is a group consists of Tioman locals and was set up in 2015 to enable locals participation in managing and conserving Tioman marine resources.

A total of 35 new members have joined this group recently from each village and were given a diving course. Welcome and congratulations to all new members! TMCG is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance.

Ghost Nets Removal

A total of 560 kg ghost nets were removed from 8 different sites, on land and in sea.

Munjur Beach Clean-up

A total of 135kg rubbish including 1140 plastic bottles were collected.

Removing and reducing marine debris from our ocean is a long and arduous battle. Thank you to everyone who took part in our cleanup activities over the past few months!

tioman Food Aid

Department of Fisheries Malaysia, MAFI, MSDA and Reef Check Malaysia distributed food aid to Tioman residents who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total 300 boxes containing food were given to dive centres, fishermen and tourism operators to reduce their burdens.

Study on Importance of Conserving Tioman Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Fisheries

A study was conducted by Department of Fisheries Malaysia together with Reef Check Malaysia on perception of Tioman communities regarding importance of conserving Tioman Marine Park biodiversity and ecosystem, especially on coral reefs and fisheries.

Reef Rehabilitation Programme

Reef rehabilitation programmes were carried out at various places around Tioman since 2011. The aim of this programme is to rehabilitate degraded patches of reefs. Some of the works involve building new coral nursery (to attach broken but still living corals) and monthly monitoring and maintenance.

From July until September, 4 new coral nurseries were added and monitoring and maintenance works were carried out as usual.

Green Hotel Assessment

The Green Hotel Programme aims to encourage resort and chalet operators to conduct their business in environmentally-friendly manners and take steps to protect and conserve natural resources and the environments. This quarter, a total of 10 resorts were assessed based on the ASEAN Green Standard.

Environmentally-friendly operations ensure the natural environment that attracts tourists remain sustainable, thereby ensuring a sustainable tourism industry as well.

Protected Area Governance: Moving Malaysia Forward

In previous articles, we have looked at three inter-linked themes affecting management of marine resources:

• Resilience

• Livelihoods

• Co-management

The article on co-management highlighted governance as an emerging theme of importance, and that is the subject of this piece.

The IUCN approach

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) manual on Governance of Protected Areas describes governance in the following way:

“Wherever decisions are being made and power and authority are exercised, some form of “governance” is in place.”

This puts understanding governance at the heart of effective conservation.

The power and the capacity to take decisions have a major influence on the achievement of protected area objectives, the sharing of responsibilities, rights, costs and benefits, and the generation and maintenance of support – be it financial, political, or from the communities in and around the protected areas in question.

The IUCN and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognise four types of governance:

Governance of Malaysia’s Marine Parks is firmly seated under governance type A, with governance overseen by the Marine Parks section of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture.

How does governance measure up against relevant benchmarks?

What is good governance and where is Malaysia?

Achieving good governance is critical to the success of all four main governance types. Good governance is a measure of how far certain principles and values are adhered to.

The quality of governance of a protected area can be evaluated against a number of broad principles of good governance that have been developed by a variety of people, nations and UN agencies. The simpler and more compact formulation of such principles, referred to as “IUCN principles of good governance for protected areas” includes:

• Legitimacy and voice

• Direction

• Performance

• Accountability

• Fairness and rights

A fair assessment of how Malaysia is doing against each of the principles needs to be conducted, perhaps through a multi-stakeholder workshop with relevant government agencies and other key stakeholders. However, a quick review serves to indicate that there is room for improvement.

Why do we need to do this?

As noted in the IUCN’s Governance of Protected Area manual, there are numerous benefits to be gained from improving governance.

For governmental actors, the benefits of opening up to more diverse governance types and enhancing governance quality can include:

1. Meeting targets for greater protection coverage of areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

2. Greater ability to build networks of protected areas leading to protection of larger landscapes/ seascapes.

3. More effective conservation.

4. Greater savings and/or generation of resources.

5. Expanding capacity for meeting a variety of commitments under international law.

6. More resilient systems.

7. More people actively involved in conservation.

8. Contributions to social harmony and peace and the recognition of rights.

For non-governmental actors, the reasons for becoming involved in the governance of protected areas possibly vary even more widely than for governmental actors, including:

1. Securing livelihoods via local strategies for natural resource management.

2. Obtaining recognition and support for their own conservation achievements.

3. Clarifying roles and managing conflicts

4. Seeking better respect for local rights, values and identity.

In general, a key motivation of many actors to engage with protected area governance is to improve governance quality - i.e., achieve more equity, legitimacy and accountability in the decision-making processes that affect natural resources, livelihoods and society in general.

In the next piece we will look at how policy intersects with governance and management, and what policy changes might help to strengthen both in Malaysia.