Let’s Talk About Management (Part 2)

In an earlier post, I talked about the management of marine resources in Malaysia – what it is we are managing and some of the key challenges. I highlighted what I think are some gaps in management; this article looks at how we can fill some of those gaps.

Defining Marine Ecosystems

RCM has come to focus on three (of many) marine ecosystems: coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. Individually and collectively they provide a wide variety of ecosystem services that communities rely on (food, flood protection, employment, etc.).

For effective protection of these ecosystems, we need to remember that there are two different aspects to connectivity between these ecosystems: community connectivity (between different communities of the same ecosystem – reefs on different islands are connected) and functional connectivity (movement of species between the different ecosystems at different stages of their lifecycle).

What Exactly Do We Mean by “Managing Marine Resources”?
There are many ways to define “management”.  A simple dictionary definition reads: “the process of dealing with or controlling things or people”.

Simple.

In an office environment, perhaps. But what about in a natural system such as a coral reef, where things are more fluid, where more people are involved and the system is more complex?

Natural resource management deals with managing the way in which people and nature interact – whether in terrestrial or marine areas. It brings together land use planning, water management, biodiversity conservation, and the future sustainability of industries like agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries and forestry. It recognises that people and their livelihoods rely on the health and productivity of nature. It also acknowledges that their actions as stewards of nature play a critical role in maintaining this health and productivity.

That’s the textbook version. Here’s how RCM thinks about the practice of marine resource management: all relevant stakeholders working together to minimise or eliminate local threats to marine resources so they remain as healthy and productive as possible.

And as highlighted in the previous article, there are two key components to this, namely: integrating the management of different ecosystems and ensuring broad stakeholder participation.

So how are we doing?

The report card would probably read “Could Do Better”

One of the challenges with marine resource management in Malaysia is that the current approach is fragmented and distributed among different government agencies:

• Coral reefs are protected by the Department of Fisheries in Peninsular Malaysia, and state Parks bodies in East Malaysia,

• Mangroves are managed by both state-level and Federal-level bodies,

• Seagrass meadows have no specific protection.

 So there isn’t much integration of the management of these ecosystems – even though they are mutually dependent ecologically. Added to this is the lack of management of the corridors connecting dispersed ecosystems. So, for example, the corridors that transport larvae from the southern islands (Johor islands and Tioman) to the northern islands (Redang, Perhentian) are unprotected.

A second area that is weak is that, overall, there is perhaps too much reliance on the government to solve all the problems…but they can’t realistically be everywhere all the time.

Here’s the gist of a common conversation I have:

Island-based stakeholder: “They don’t do enough to look after the reefs”

Marine Parks officer: “They don’t do enough to help us look after the reefs”

Studies have confirmed the importance of involving local stakeholders in decisions regarding natural resource management.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is calling on governments to strengthen the role of IPLCs (Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities) in the latest round of negotiations to agree on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The SDGs and our own National Policy on Biological Diversity called for greater participation of stakeholders in decision-making.

But it’s a two-way street: the government has to acknowledge and enable stakeholder participation; stakeholders have to adopt that role sincerely. What we have to do is build the capacity and the institutions to allow that to happen.

RCM and Reef Care – Making It Happen

Building local capacity in conservation and management is something that we have been doing for some time now, but it has taken on a greater role in the last two years. The Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG), launched in 2016, is now carrying out an annual programme of conservation activities to help protect reefs around Tioman (ghost net removal, crown of thorns management, restoration, monitoring). We have a similar programme on Mantanani island and we are introducing it to other areas next year.

So that’s the capacity. What about the institutions?

In 2020, the Department of Fisheries Malaysia introduced the Reef Care programme. The goal was to give local communities in reef areas some responsibility for managing coral reefs near their village. TMCG was appointed as a local partner on Tioman.

Although under-resourced, Reef Care has provided a great vehicle for us to institutionalise what the TMCG is doing on Tioman and we have expanded from just one Reef Care area two years ago to seven today, covering all the villages on the island! We are now working with partners on other islands to help to develop stronger conservation programmes.

We hope to identify conservation leaders on the islands who can take a more central role in managing the marine resources around the islands, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries.

What Else Can Be Done?

As far as “joined up” management goes, steps are already being taken to address this. We are hoping to see a new project launch in the next few months that will look at connectivity between ecosystems off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, to protect the “connectivity corridors” between ecosystems. This will require close collaboration between stakeholders.

And who knows, perhaps it could even lead to a new model for marine resource management that introduces a two-tier structure:

•  Seascape-level management of the entire coastal area, integrating the management of the different ecosystems and taking into account the needs of stakeholders ranging from oil and gas operations, transport, tourism and fishing.

• Small scale Marine Protected Areas around islands and important biodiversity areas, managed by local stakeholders and state governments.

 Maybe this is where RCM’s future lies.

 Read the first part of the article here.

Updates From Sabah: July - September 2022

Underwater Clean-up in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

In conjunction with the 48th Anniversary of The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Reef Check Malaysia organised an underwater clean-up in the park area. This event was conducted together with Sabah Parks and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah (KePKAS).

Our team also had help from the Marine Research Foundation and Dive Rangers, to coordinate the event, as well as Dive Borneo Bah, Scuba Junkie, SeaTango and Go Aquatic who provided the boats and dive crew. 74 divers joined this activity, which consisted of 2 dives and had successfully collected a total of 130kg of trash.

 Eco-Friendly Snorkel Guide Training

At the end of July, our team held an Eco-Friendly Snorkeling Guide training in Kudat, Sabah. Participants learned basic marine conservation knowledge, guiding skills, and eco-friendly practices while snorkeling. The training also includes First Aid Responder Certification to equip participants with important rescue/emergency responder skills.

Green Fins Introductory Workshop in Semporna

In August, 15 dive operator representatives attended our Green Fins Introductory Workshop in Semporna, hosted by Jeti Pelancongan Semporna.

This workshop was conducted to introduce Green Fins to the dive operators in Semporna and recruit them as new members. We were joined by representatives from Sabah Parks and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

Group photo with participants of our Green Fins Introductory Workshop in Semporna.

Semporna

Marine Module with ISKUL Omadal

In September, we’ve successfully developed and delivered 2 out of 10 modules during training with the teachers in ISKUL Omadal. This marine module will be used as a teaching module for the students in ISKUL Omadal. The two modules focus on the introduction to the ocean and coral reef conservation.

Pilot Waste Management System at Larapan Island

The waste management collection team at Larapan Island continues to work on our pilot waste management programme. We have collected more than 5 tons of waste since March this year, and will continue to monitor and document the success and struggles of this programme.

Hanafi, one of our Eco divers from Mabul Island compiling data for the Mantanani survey.

Reef Check Annual Surveys and EcoDiver Training

Our team has completed Reef Check surveys around Sabah, with the help of Eco divers which comprises of the local island community, Sabah Parks staff and volunteers who flew from KL to join our surveys.

The Taman Pulau Tiga survey was led by Sabah Parks, and joined by Diana our local colleague from Mantanani Island and Nadhirah. The surveys in Mantanani were led by our colleagues, Adzmin and Nadhirah, and we had assistance from Hanafi and Haiqal (youths from Mabul Island), as well as JH Scuba.

Eco divers for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park’s Reef Check survey.

In August, we completed the surveys off Mataking Island, with help from Marlianah (Larapan youth) and Salman (Mabul youth), and Bigfin Divers.

In September, we conducted surveys in Lahad Datu and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, the latter being led by Sabah Parks and joined by our colleague Nadhirah. The Lahad Datu surveys were completed with assistance from Rudy from Kudat Turtle Conservation Society and Jennifer Pippin. A special thanks to Dominic of Darvel Bay Diving for their continuous support.

We’ve also finally completed the Reef Check Eco diver training with 8 staff from Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC). This training was the continuation of the training that began in 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns. We also proceeded with conducting Reef Check surveys of 4 sites in Miri - which will be SFC’s permanent survey sites.

Group photo with Sarawak Forestry after completing Reef Check surveys in Miri.

Reef Check survey in Lahad Datu.

Reef Check survey in Mataking.

Cintai Mantanani: July - September 2022

A series of recycling activities was conducted with volunteers from Camps Borneo International, during which these volunteers took the opportunity to learn how to make virgin coconut oil (VCO) soap from the local Mantanani villagers.

Beginning the month of July, TeamRakyat began a collaboration with the islanders, and have agreed to help promote local Mantanani products on their website. These products can now be found at http://www.teamrakyat.com/store/reefcheck-malaysia/

Cintai Kepulauan Mersing: July - September 2022

Recycling Centre opens at Pulau Sibu

Our team in Mersing began recycling programme at Pulau Sibu with the support of the Mersing District Office and the Pulau Sibu local community. A recycling facility was built as a collection and sorting centre for glass, plastic and tin materials before transporting them to the mainland at Mersing for recycling.

Three sets of recycling bins were also built with assistance from the local youths, and seven more bins are currently under construction. These bins will be placed throughout the village for the island community to dispose their recyclables.

MISC Volunteers Join Reef Conservation

25 employees from MISC Group volunteered as part of the Employee Participation Programme (EPP) for the Heart of the Ocean Programme at Pulau Sibu in August. MISC’s volunteers together with Reef Check Malaysia team members in Mersing conducted reef monitoring using the Coral Health Chart. The survey data was added to the CoralWatch global database that could be analysed to indicate coral health over time or pick up trends of bleaching and recovery.

A beach clean-up was also carried out, and it managed to gather more than 155kg of marine debris. The EPP volunteers also participated in the first community hosting activity involving four families on the island, helping to gather their feedback on alternative livelihood opportunities to generate economic activities with a lower impact on the environment and provide an additional source of income.

In order to increase local stakeholder's awareness of safe boat operations and reduce the environmental impact of their activities, the EPP volunteers also helped to organise a safety talk on boat handling, which involved a total of 22 participants among local tourism and boat operators in Mersing.

Mooring Buoys Installed as Reef Rehabilitation Thrives

Our colleagues installed two mooring buoys at Pulau Harimau and Pulau Hujung with the help of the Pulau Besar community to reduce the impact of anchoring on coral reefs. Monitoring was conducted at the Besar Baguz reef rehabilitation site and it was observed that previously rescued corals are now growing healthily on the reef rehabilitation structures.

Cintai Tioman: July - September 2022

SC Johnson X Reef Check Malaysia X Juara Turtle Project

In August, our Tioman team received a group visit from SC Johnson. Some activities carried out together include cleaning of Teluk Nayak, coral rehabilitation and recycling activities.

A total of 340kg of rubbish consisting of plastic bottles, Styrofoam and fishing equipment was successfully collected. For coral reef conservation activities, 102 live corals were collected and replanted for conservation purposes.

SC Johnson also sponsored a bailing machine and a glass crusher to help the recycling efforts in Kampung Juara, which is managed by the Juara Turtle Project (JTP).

International Coastal Clean-up 2022

In conjunction with the World Coastal Cleanup week, our Tioman colleagues collaborated with several parties such as members of the TMCG, the Juara Turtle Project (JTP), the Civil Defense Force, Sorte Met Stella, the Ministry of Natural   Energy Resources, the UiTM Volunteer Brigade, COWAY, Brothers International Malaysia and residents of  Tioman Island for this program.

There were several clean-up locations around Tioman that were selected, including Bakau Bay, marina cargo jetty, Marine Park Center, Munjur Bay, Penut Bay, Kampung Paya Beach and Kampung Mukut Beach.

A total of 481.5kg of rubbish was successfully collected, including drink bottles, personal care items, fishing equipment, disposable diapers, cigarette butts and so on. The rubbish was separated for recycling and sent to the waste disposal center in Tekek village.

Reef Check Malaysia X SK Juara

In July, we began an environmental education program with the Year 4, 5 and 6 students from SK Juara. There were various environmental topics presented to students in carefully planned interactive sessions, including Environmental Biodiversity, Bats, Mangrove Swamp/ Forests, and Coastal Areas.

Environmental education should be taught from a young age to ensure that an interest in the preservation and conservation of the environment can be fostered. 

Seiko Malaysia

In early September, our Tioman colleagues were involved in a video shoot with Seiko Malaysia in Kampung Tekek. This campaign was about ghost nets that are thrown or left in the sea, that can damage coral reefs and also cause the death of various marine life.

The final video can be viewed on Seiko Malaysia's official social media and also on Reef Check Malaysia's Facebook page.

UPM and KIMIA Malaysia Community Programme

A community program co-organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences of UPM and KIMIA Malaysia for the residents of Tioman was held in July. This was also done in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry Malaysia, the Department of Chemistry Pahang, the Tioman Development Board and Reef Check Malaysia.

Some activities that were carried out were health checks, health talks on infectious diseases, investigation on oil spills at sea and detection of micro plastics on the beach, as well as a science exhibition held at the SMK Tekek hall, quizzes and also competitions for the Tioman community.

Dive Site Survey

In August, Reef Check Malaysia and members of the TMCG participated in monitoring dive sites organized by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DoF). Biodiversity monitoring was carried out at several dive sites around Pulau Tioman to observe and record some key indicators which will help compare frequently visited dive sites and more remote dive sites.

Tioman Island, 20 Years Later

I just spent a few days on Tioman island, one of the islands off Malaysia’s East coast (yeah, I know how lucky I am). With me were a couple of old friends who used to dive with me back in the day when I ran a dive centre on the island (yeah, I really do know how lucky I am!!).

It was a bit of a nostalgia trip for all three of us. I’ve been lucky to have been able to visit occasionally, as RCM has a project there. But the other guys haven’t been back for several years, mainly for family reasons. So what did we spend most of our time doing? Reminiscing about the past, of course…and resurrecting a stupid card game called Knickers!

It was 20 years ago that they started visiting regularly, doing weekend dive trips from Singapore, where they were both working at the time. They became regular visitors to the dive centre, coming perhaps six or eight times a year – and both spent long periods on the island during “interruptions” in their careers! One is a PADI instructor, both are tech instructors, and both have logged hundreds of dives – many of them in Tioman.

All of which is to say that they know the island well: they understand its Marine Park status, they know the dive sites, they know what sort of marine life used to be abundant and they know what the water quality used to be like. They were also familiar with the tourism market on the island, relying as it did to a large extent on a mixture of local tourists from Malaysia and Singapore together with some backpackers and a few high-end tourists visiting the small numbers of more exclusive resorts on the island. But overall, medium-high volume tourism, with little emphasis on sustainability or eco-tourism at the time.

As we walked through the island’s main village, Tekek, on our second day both remarked how little it appears to have changed in 20 years. Yes, there is now a bigger school, and yes there are new restaurants – and yes, the road has been improved! But that aside?

Very little physical change – at least in the main village, and no new resorts at all in the last 10 years.

The following day we took a bicycle ride to the neighbouring Air Batang village. ABC, as it is known, remains very much the same as it was 20 years ago – small-scale chalets line the beach along much of its length; only a couple of buildings are more than one storey, and many have been there for years. The following day we took a bike ride the other way, south to Bunut beach, discovering that, apart from the one large resort on the island, little has changed. It looks like Tioman has escaped some of the huge growth in tourism – and resort numbers – that some other islands have seen.

So, what has changed?

Outside the main tourist villages, the story is a little different – but only in some areas. There are new resorts in Juara village, and in Mukut village in the south of the island. There are a couple of new places occupying beaches on the West coast – but nothing large, nothing multi-storey.

Again – the island appears to have escaped over-development. Ok, the water might not be as clear as it used to be – but that could be influenced by sources external to the island – from the mainland, perhaps. And there might not be so many fish. But all in all, the island and its reefs seem to be in fairly good condition.

So how do we maintain that?

And then came the inevitable questions.

What does the future hold for an island like Tioman? What are the development pressures? What happens if the proposed airport development goes ahead, along with talk of quadrupling (yes, increasing by FOUR TIMES) the number of tourists?

What is being done to protect the island?

The best answers I could give to these, and other, questions, were…unsatisfactory.

Despite evidence that sewage contaminates reefs – and is a public health issue – there is still inadequate sewage treatment on the island. Despite evidence that tourism results in physical damage to reefs, there are still no clear guidelines on allowable tourism numbers. Despite evidence that fish populations should recover in a marine protected area…the opposite seems to be happening.

In my opinion, Tioman is a jewel among Malaysia’s islands. Home to intact rainforest, numerous endemic species, and some of the best coral reefs on Malaysia’s East coast - it is a gem worth protecting. And my friends agree.

So how, in the face of slow reef decline, creeping tourism growth, lack of a clear sustainable tourism strategy, and proposals for mega-infrastructure development, how do we go about conserving the island, specifically its marine resources?

My friends expressed two concerns: lack of visible management of the island and no obvious vision for the future. Here’s how we can address those concerns.

First, get the local islanders more involved in protecting the island’s reefs through participatory management and conservation programmes. We are already doing that with the Tioman Marine Conservation Group and the Department of Fisheries’ Reef Care project. Tick that box.

But more than that, we need to look at how we can protect and enhance the resilience of the island’s ecosystems. Resilience is a concept that describes the natural ability of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance – bleaching, pollution, etc.

There are three key parts to maintaining resilience: good water quality (so let’s improve the sewage treatment), no physical impacts (so let’s look at managing tourists better) and lots of fish to eat the algae (seaweed) that, if not controlled, can smother corals (so let’s improve compliance with fishing regulations).

Not beyond the bounds of possibility.

And finally, let’s develop a long-term vision for the island, one that values its ecosystems in a way that is inclusive, and benefits the islanders, not just a small handful of developers who will make money from building resorts and infrastructure…but who won’t suffer the loss of ecosystem services that are likely to follow.

There are plenty of examples of islands that got over-developed. Let’s not let that happen to Tioman.

Check out our work on Tioman Island at Cintai Tioman.

Managing Marine Resources - Let's Talk About It

Let’s talk about management…of marine resources, that is.

The original idea for this article was to discuss how we are managing Marine Parks in Malaysia. But the scope quickly broadened out to include the question: which marine resources should we be managing?

Are we just talking about the narrow band of water around islands that comprise the Marine Parks in Peninsular Malaysia – mainly home to coral reefs? Or are we talking about other, interconnected marine ecosystems?

Then it somehow moved on to the very subject of management itself – what it is, how do you manage marine resources, and how effectively are they are being managed in Malaysia?

So in this first of two parts, I’ll address the former question – manage what?

I’ll talk about “how”, later.

Three important marine ecosystems in Malaysia

The phrase “marine resources” has many different interpretations.

To a merchant seaman, it could simply mean free and open access to seaways. To a mining company, it could mean undersea resources such as hydrocarbons, precious metals and so on. To a fisheries expert it could mean the stocks of fish on which communities worldwide rely for their main source of dietary protein. To a resort operator – the very attraction that brings people to their door.

So let me start off by saying that when we talk about marine resources at Reef Check Malaysia, we are talking primarily about three marine ecosystems: coral reefs; seagrass beds; and mangroves. Even this definition is somewhat arbitrary. Some might argue that mangroves are coastal; others might argue for the inclusion of mudflats and other similar ecosystems.

All valid questions; I just wanted to be clear on our own particular emphasis.

Reef Check Malaysia started life as a small NGO focusing on coral reef surveys. 15 years ago our survey programme covered just 16 sites around islands off the East coast. Today, our annual survey programme has grown to cover over 200 reef sites around Malaysia, in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

In recent years, however (yeah, we are a bit slow like that!) we have come to the realisation that coral reefs don’t exist in isolation. Of course we always knew that – but we never proactively considered how it might affect how we look at “the sea”. Our focus was pretty much on reefs.

But we have come to understand how deeply linked to other marine ecosystems coral reefs are – particularly seagrass beds and mangroves. Some might even say that they are but one habitat – with species moving between them as they move between different stages of their lifecycle. Some move between ecosystems to feed, some to breed, some to mature.

So surely, we should be looking at these ecosystems, or habitats, in a joined up, holistic manner, right?

The 3 marine ecosystems - should we look at them as one?

Joined up management?

Wrong.

In fact, it is only literally this year that we have come to understand just how fragmented management is, and the reality is that there is no holistic management of these critical habitats:

• The National Forestry Act provides protection for mangroves within gazetted forest reserves. However, approximately 1,000 sq km of mangroves are not (yet) gazetted and are put solely under the jurisdiction of State governments.

• The Fisheries Act allows for the establishment of Marine Parks to protect marine resources; but most Marine Parks (at least in Peninsular Malaysia) are in waters surrounding islands that are managed by State governments

• Seagrasses, on the other hand, are not covered by either of the two important legal tools mentioned above. Except where they are located within the boundaries of a Marine Park, in which coral reefs are the main emphasis.

The fragmented marine management

Connectivity

We are now aware of two important axes of biological connectivity between these three ecosystems.

First, there is community connectivity – between different communities of each ecosystem. Taking coral reefs off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia as an example, research suggests that the reefs in the south are connected to reefs in the north (though I acknowledge that the science isn’t settled).

But taken as is, the research suggests that the distance between “known reefs” (e.g. Tioman island to Tenggol island, some 220km) is too far for coral larvae to travel before they become ready to settle and form a new colony. So the theory goes that there are “stepping stones” along the way – un-surveyed reefs that form a link between distant reefs.

Why is this important?

Well, consider that it is likely (according to the same research) that reefs in the south provide new “seeds” (in the form of coral, fish and other larvae) to reefs in the north, allowing them to recover if badly damaged. But what would happen if the “stepping stones” were disrupted – because we don’t know where they are and so we can’t protect them?

No more larval flow, no more re-supply, with dire consequences for those northern reefs.

And then there is what I will call functional connectivity – whereby one ecosystem plays host to a particular species during different stages of its lifecycle, with the organism moving between them at different periods of its life.

Looking again at the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia, this is “West-East” connectivity, moving from coastal mangroves through near coastal seagrass beds to coral reefs. Disrupt one of the ecosystems and you disrupt the entire life-cycle of the organism, again with dire consequences for populations. 

Understanding biological connectivity

Integrating Management

We have come to the conclusion that it is essential to manage all three ecosystems using an integrated approach that protects both the North-South and the West-East connectivity.

Obvious, really…but not happening yet!

Yes, it’s a big task – it will involve multiple jurisdictions (Federal vs State) and multiple stakeholders (fishermen, local communities, tourism operators, shipping industry, etc).

But imagine we could make it work.

It could potentially improve food security for coastal and urban communities, improve livelihoods, protect biodiversity, provide for coastal protection against the coming challenges of climate change…and even create economic opportunities in new forms of tourism. The challenges are immense, but the potential rewards are worth giving this a close look.

Next time, I will talk more about what it means to manage a marine resource, how we are managing our marine resources, and how we might change that to take into account integrating management of various marine ecosystems.

Stay tuned.

Read the second part of the article here.

Reef Check Malaysia’s 15th Anniversary

Today, 3rd August, marks the 15th anniversary of Reef Check Malaysia. Who would have thought that an organisation that started off with one full time staff would grow into an organisation with national programmes and field staff in four locations (and counting!!).

Our evolution saw us start with a survey prgramme covering just 16 sites on Tioman, Redang and Perhentian. We now monitor the health of coral reefs at over 200 sites around Malaysia with a pretty impressive data set that gives us good insights into changing reef health. We work with the Federal (DoF/Marine Parks) and State authorities (Sabah Parks), volunteers and, more recently, local communities.

On top of that foundation, we built education and awareness programmes for schools, science-based programmes investigation coral bleaching, restoration and resilience, finally emerging as a partner in managing marine resources, encouraging the participation of local communities and introducing standards such as the IUCN Green List and the UNEP Green Fins programme.

What have we learned after 15 years of surveys? Well, on average, the sites we survey are in “fair” condition, according to a widely-used index. But the average masks a wide range and some areas are healthier than others.

We have learned that management needs to be local to take into account local threats to reefs, which differ from site to site and island to island. More recently we have learned from the interruption of the tourism industry that reefs will recover if left alone – a possibly vital management tool as we witness the growing impacts of climate change on our reefs.

More important – what have we achieved? We like to think quite a lot! Our programme on Tioman – now eight years old, and funded by Yayasan Sime Darby all these years, has shown us the importance of working with local stakeholders to build resilience of both reefs and communities. Our data show Tioman has among the healthiest reefs in Malaysia.

We have also learned that building capacity among local communities is critical. The Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) now has 65 members covering all the villages on the island – and they are taking an increasing role in carrying out the annual coral reef survey programme as well as other conservation programmes such as ghost net removal and reef restoration.

Partnering with the Department of Fisheries in the Reef Care programme has allowed us to introduce participatory management, and we are hoping to replicate that programme to other islands this year.

On Mantanani, our programme to establish a new marine protected area (funded by Yayasan Hasanah) has been slow. However, with funding from the Small Grants Programme, we have helped the villagers to develop community-based tourism, with a robust homestay market now empowering the villagers to diversify household incomes out of fisheries and into tourism. We also operate the waste management system on the island, and arrange monthly disposal of waste and recycling of plastic and other recyclables.

So what’s next on our radar?

One important field is operationalising the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the current text of which calls for protection of 30% of the world’s oceans by 30% - that’s a global target, not a local one; Malaysia is merely called upon to contribute what it can.

We would like to see more MPAs, and particularly in Peninsular Malaysia networking of existing Marine Parks to include the biological connectivity corridors between both reef areas and also other marine ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass beds, which are important ecosystems in their own right.

We also want to see a greater role for what the Convention on Biological Diversity calls IPLCs – Indigenous People and Local Communities – we believe that local stakeholders can significantly strengthen marine resource management – and our own successes demonstrate this.

We couldn’t survive without significant support – not only from our funders, but volunteers who help with surveys, training, clean-ups and other programmes – names too numerous to mention, but you know how you are; we are deeply grateful and always recognise your role in protecting our coral reefs.

So here’s to the next 15 years!!! Please celebrate with us; share this to spread the word and help to make more people aware of the need to protect Malaysia’s marine treasures.

The Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – Where Are We?

Those of you following the news on biodiversity will already be aware of the snail’s pace progress of negotiations for a new Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Meetings in Geneva, Switzerland in March achieved little except to make the situation more complex.

A special session of the working groups was hastily arranged and was held in Nairobi, Kenya just two weeks ago (21-26 June).

But sadly progress remains slow.

From what I have heard, it is coming down to arguing about words – and that is never going to work. Different languages interpret a given word in different ways; so when you end up in an argument about whether the word “protected” or “conserved” should be used, just imagine translating those English words into the native language of the hundred-plus nations involved in the negotiation. And think about how those words will be interpreted in a local context and culture.

You can see the problem.

As my friend Richard is keen to relate, some Western nations are adopting the practice of defining their personal pronouns on things like LinkedIn profiles. Nothing wrong with that. But when you bring that mindset into a region that doesn’t really use personal pronouns…can you see the potential for confusion?

And I think that’s what is happening.

One target seems to be attracting more attention than some of the others. That’s target 3, the so-called “30x30 target”. It calls for protecting (or conserving?) 30% of the world’s land and marine areas (I’m paraphrasing!).

The original target was three lines of text long; it ended up about 20 lines long at the end of the Geneva meetings because so many nations intervened and wanted their own little spin put on it.

Not good

It seems as though the negotiation process has lost sight of its goal: a treaty that can drive biodiversity conservation over the next decade. This is something we are increasingly told is crucial, to avoid further mass extinctions.

I’m not going to get into the details of that, but if – as I am told – the talks are now arguing terminology – do we use the word “oceans” or the word “seas”? – then clearly something is wrong.

The talks are now arguing terminology – do we use the word “oceans” or the word “seas”?

That’s why we are suggesting a different approach to marine conservation in Malaysia. And this will work for other countries, too.

Our proposal has two broad parts:

- First, acknowledge the validity of the target of 30% of land and marine areas in protected areas.

This 30% is scientifically sound there’s plenty of published research suggesting that we should protect at least 30% of our various ecosystems – and some papers suggest it should be more. So as a global aspiration, let’s agree that protecting 30% of …well, pretty much everything, is a good thing.

Let’s just stop having that fight – it’s sucking up energy that is needed elsewhere.

- Second, make a clear statement about what Malaysia (or any other country) will do to contribute to this target being achieved.

We can’t do it on our own, obviously; and different nations have different abilities, needs, capacities…not to mention areas of land and sea. So each has to proceed unto his own.

We recommend a three-stage process:

o 2022-2024: develop a comprehensive map of key marine biodiversity areas

o 2024-2025: identify important areas for protection equivalent to 30% of the total

o 2025-2030: put in place a management system that effectively conserves (or protects) these areas.

Let’s agree that protecting 30% of everything is a good thing.

Why does this work? For two reasons.

First – it is locally appropriate. A good argument can be made that much of Malaysia’s EEZ does not really need much protection because there is not much habitat there. Yes, fisheries need to be managed; but protected areas for habitat conservation? Not so clear.

Secondly – it is achievable. Finding out the important habitats that support livelihoods and food security; then protecting a scientifically valid 30% of those – what’s not to like? These areas will largely be coastal, so easily accessible; and they will have local stakeholders with a vested interest in looking after them, so natural stewards to strengthen management agencies.

Perhaps it’s time for the negotiation process to take a step back and develop a clearer view. At the moment, they don’t seem to be able to see the forest for all the trees in the way.

Updates from Sabah: April - June 2022

MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

In mid-May, two of our colleagues paid a courtesy visit to the newly-appointed Kota Belud District Officer at the District Office. This official visit was done to brief the office about all RCM’s programmes in the Kota Belud area, specifically Mantanani Island and Kg. Song-Song.  Our colleagues also had a meeting with the Kementerian Kerajaan Tempatan dan Perumahan Sabah (KKTP Sabah) to share about our waste management programmes on Mantanani and Larapan Island. We took this opportunity to also discuss our recently published “The Cost of Waste Management” report and how we could possibly apply it in other potential locations in Sabah.

Meeting at the Kota Belud District Office

Meeting with KKTP Sabah

 SECOND ASIA PARK CONGRESS

At the Second Asia Park Congress held at the end of May in the Sabah International Convention Centre, RCM participated by setting up a booth, and our colleague Adzmin delivered the Keynote Speech during the Opening Ceremony of the Youth Forum Session. We displayed posters regarding our programmes that covered environment, youths and communities at our booth, and also had the opportunity to sell Mantanani Local Products during the 5-day congress.  All sales proceeds go back directly to the Mantanani Island community.

Adzmin delivering the Keynote Speech

RCM’s booth at the Congress

 APPGM - SDG TRAINING

In June, our colleague Nadhirah attended a three-day training organised by APPGM-SDG (All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia – Sustainable Development Goals). This APPGM-SDG Impact Evaluation Capacity Building Training was held at Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya. During the training, we received great news that our Women Empowerment Programme at Kg. Song-Song, Kota Belud will receive more funding to continue until end of this year.

Sabah participants at the APPGM-SDG training

Part of the Women Empowerment Programme in Kg. Song-Song

Cintai Mantanani: April - June 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. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT

On Mantanani Island, we have replaced and repaired the recycling bins around Kampung Padang.

At the same time, we have also installed 5 signage on waste management practices around the village, targeting potential tourist areas. This was done to encourage proper waste disposal habits and also inform the tourists of this initiative on the island.

We’ve also awarded 63 households with a certificate for their excellent performance in our waste management program for the year 2021. This initiative was done to recognize their efforts, commitment, and endless support in ensuring waste is properly managed on Mantanani Island.

On Larapan Island, a total of 105 houses with 950 household members are now participating in our pilot waste management project. We have since collected more than 2,900kg of waste, which has also been properly disposed of. We’ve also successfully organised a Larapan Island Clean-Up Day, attended by 64 participants who collected more than 1,800kg of waste!

COMMUNITY-BASED ECO-TOURISM PROGRAMME

Our Community-Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) is also moving forward on Mantanani Island. Under this initiative, 14 islanders from Homestays Mantanani have been recently trained and certified as First Aid Emergency Responder.

In May, we conducted another assessment for the homestays, using the same ASEAN Homestays Standard. The purpose of this assessment was to evaluate the progress of homestays’ improvement since our CBET Project started. In the previous assessment, Homestays Mantanani scored around 61% while the recent score has increased to 70%, showing a remarkable improvement on certain criteria.

First Aid Emergency Responder training

Assessment of the homestays using the same ASEAN Homestays Standard

We’ve also had the opportunity to empower 11 homestay operators to develop various promotional materials and packages to promote community-based eco-tourism on Mantanani. We engaged local tourism players such as nature guides and dive guides in the process of compiling all the potential CBET activities. As a result, we have produced and printed a Mantanani CBET Booklet, to promote the local tourism activities that can be found on the island.

Mersing Heart of the Ocean: April - June 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.

Removing Threats from Our Reefs

We conducted two reef clean-ups and coral predator removal activities at the reefs of Pulau Aur and Pulau Pemanggil in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Johor.

Through the first activity, we removed 10 kg of trash consisting mainly of ghost nets during the reef clean-ups. At the same time, we also successfully removed 39 Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTs) at these two sites, and this was done using a vinegar solution injection.

Reef Survey with the Island Community

This year, we kicked kick-started our yearly Reef Check surveys with the island community. We surveyed two sites at Pulau Lima and Pulau Tokong Sanggol with the help of one EcoDiver from Pulau Sibu, Zuhdi Nordin.

We’d like to thank Rimba Resort, for supporting the survey by providing us with diving tanks! This year, 32 survey sites have been identified for the Reef Check survey programme, and we’ll be sharing more information about them in the next edition of our newsletter.

Alternative Livelihood Opportunities for the Community

Alternative livelihood are activities with lower impact towards the environment and provides an additional source of income for the community. Through consultation activities done in March with 25 island communities from Pulau Sibu, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Pemanggil and Pulau Aur, they have indicated their interest in exploring alternative livelihood opportunities. Among the preferred opportunities are food and beverages service providers and recreation activity operations.

The findings that were derived from this consultation process will be used to design training programmes to equip the community with relevant skills and help them generate a supplementary source of income.

Cintai Tioman: April - June 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

Meeting with Juara Village Community

Our team on Tioman recently held a meeting with the Juara village community, to discuss conservation work that could possibly be done in their village. They also took the opportunity to explain the function of the members of the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) during this meeting. We believe in maintaining a good relationship with everyone we work with, and this includes the Juara community. This will help ensure our efforts in protecting the marine ecosystem of Tioman go smoothly.

Eco Diver Training

On 24-26 May 2022, we trained and certified 12 local villagers from Tekek, Air Batang, Salang, Genting and Juara villages as “EcoDivers”.

This training session was organised by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia with our colleagues from RCM as instructors. These newly certified EcoDivers can now participate in reef health monitoring along with our TMCG team.

KPMG Conservation Volunteers

We received a visit from KPMG on 25 - 27 May, this being the first visit after the COVID-19 pandemic. The group carried out several activities with Reef Check Malaysia such as clearing of rubbish in Teluk  Kador and Marina, coral pot making, coral rehabilitation, and removal of the Crown of Thorns starfish (COTs).

This is a part of a long-term effort between KPMG Malaysia and Reef Check Malaysia in preserving and    conserving coral reefs in Tioman Island.

Clean-up in conjunction with World Coral Triangle Day

Every year, 11 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans. Kador Bay is no stranger to the drifting garbage carried by the ocean currents to the beach.

Through this clean-up initiative by Reef Check Malaysia and members of the TMCG, we successfully cleaned and removed a total of 289.5kg of garbage, which was taken to the garbage disposal center in Kampung Tekek. Most of the garbage collected was plastic bottles, Styrofoam and industrial waste.

CSR with SBM Offshore Malaysia

Our colleagues on the island recently placed several new coral reef rehabilitation sites. This program was completed under the CSR efforts of SBM Offshore Malaysia, and is supported by members of the TMCG and RCM.

We conducted snorkeling and diving activities to explore the newly planted coral site, as well as beach cleaning along the central beach of the Marine Park Centre.

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.