Interactive Map Brings Insight into Malaysia’s Coral Reef Health

SERI BUAT, 6 JULAI 2026 – Hampir 600 kg sisa marin, termasuk pukat hantu (ghost nets), botol plastik dan polistirena (styrofoam), berjaya dikeluarkan dari pesisir pantai dan perairan sekitar Pulau Seri Buat menerusi program Pembersihan Pantai dan Dasar Laut Pulau Seri Buat, sekali gus membuktikan keberkesanan usaha pemuliharaan secara kolaboratif dalam melindungi ekosistem marin pulau tersebut. 

Program ini dianjurkan bersama oleh Perbadanan Taman Negeri Pahang (PTNP), Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) dan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM-EKOMAR). 

Kira-kira 40 peserta daripada PTNP, RCM, UKM-EKOMAR, Lembaga Pembangunan Tioman, Majlis Daerah Rompin, Pasukan Polis Marin, Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM), Bahagian Perancang Ekonomi Negeri Pahang (BPEN) dan Kumpulan Pemuliharaan Marin Tioman (TMCG) telah mengambil bahagian dalam program pembersihan yang berlangsung selama tujuh jam. 

Kira-kira 40 peserta daripada pelbagai agensi turut serta dalam program ini. Foto oleh UKM 

Sebanyak 595kg sisa marin berjaya dikutip dari kawasan pantai dan dasar laut di sekitar pulau. Antara sisa yang dijumpai ialah pukat hantu, polistirena (styrofoam), botol plastik, selipar, botol kaca dan pelbagai jenis sampah marin yang lain. 

Polistirena dan botol plastik merupakan antara sisa yang paling banyak dikumpulkan, dengan 2,848 keping polistirena dan 2,340 botol plastik direkodkan. Dapatan ini menunjukkan bahawa pencemaran yang berpunca dari daratan dan laut masih menjadi cabaran berterusan yang menjejaskan Pulau Seri Buat. 

Sebanyak 595kg sisa marin berjaya dikutip dari kawasan pantai dan dasar laut di sekitar pulau. Foto oleh UKM 

“Segala sisa yang dikutip pada hari ini bukan sekadar sampah semata-mata, malah menjadi satu peringatan penting bahawa khazanah marin Negeri Pahang hendaklah dipelihara, dipulihara dan diurus secara berterusan demi kelestarian alam sekitar. 

Sehubungan itu, Perbadanan Taman Negeri Pahang (PTNP) komited untuk terus memperkukuh usaha pemuliharaan melalui pewartaan Kepulauan Seri Buat yang merangkumi lapan buah pulau sehingga 0.1 batu nautika dari tikas air paling rendah. Langkah ini amat signifikan dalam memastikan perlindungan biodiversiti marin dapat diperkasa, tadbir urus kawasan perlindungan diperkukuh serta pengurusan sumber hasil negeri dilaksanakan secara lebih mampan, sistematik dan berkesan. 

Inisiatif ini mencerminkan komitmen berterusan PTNP dalam mengimbangi agenda pemuliharaan alam sekitar dengan keperluan pembangunan mampan, selaras dengan aspirasi Kerajaan Negeri Pahang untuk memastikan khazanah semula jadi negeri terus terpelihara demi manfaat rakyat serta generasi masa hadapan” kata Encik Zainal Abidin bin Othman, Ketua Eksekutif Perbadanan Taman Negeri Pahang. 

Program ini merupakan kesinambungan kepada usaha pemuliharaan marin yang sedang dijalankan di sekitar Pulau Seri Buat. Sebelum program pembersihan ini berlangsung, RCM dan TMCG bersama seorang wakil PTNP telah melaksanakan lima operasi pembersihan dasar laut di beberapa lokasi sekitar pulau, dan berjaya mengeluarkan lima pukat hantu dengan berat berjumlah 290kg.

290kg pukat hantu berjaya dikeluarkan dari dasar laut. 

“Membersihkan sampah marin bukanlah sekadar untuk memastikan pantai kita bersih. Pukat hantu dan sisa plastik boleh merosakkan terumbu karang, memerangkap hidupan laut serta terus menjejaskan ekosistem walaupun telah lama berada dalam lautan,” kata Shahir Yaman, Pengurus Program Reef Check Malaysia yang berpangkalan di Tioman. 

“Penyertaan kukuh daripada agensi kerajaan, penyelidik dan komuniti setempat menunjukkan bahawa usaha melindungi Pulau Seri Buat adalah tanggungjawab bersama. Apabila pelbagai pihak berganding bahu, kita mampu mencapai hasil pemuliharaan yang lebih berkesan dan berkekalan.” 

“Program ini merupakan salah satu langkah dalam usaha berterusan kami di Pulau Seri Buat. Selain aktiviti pembersihan, kami berharap dapat terus memperkukuh peranan komuniti tempatan sebagai penjaga sumber marin agar dapat menghalang sampah daripada sampai ke lautan.” 

Pihak-pihak penganjur berharap program ini akan terus menggalakkan kerjasama pelbagai pihak dalam menangani pencemaran marin, di samping memperkukuh usaha jangka panjang untuk melindungi ekosistem marin dan pesisir pantai Pulau Seri Buat. 

Untuk maklumat lanjut mengenai Reef Check Malaysia, sila layari laman web, Facebook dan Instagram mereka, atau hubungi hello@reefcheck.org.my   

-TAMAT-

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 OCTOBER 2024 – 8,569 volunteers from all around Malaysia collected 41,015kg of trash during the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event in September 2024.

Among 388,730 items collected, the most common item found was plastic bottles at 50,785 bottles. The second and third most common items were cigarette butts at 39,584 pieces and plastic/foam pieces at 38,801 pieces.

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) coordinates the nationwide ICC in Malaysia every year since 2018. Organizations, groups and individuals collect data during the cleanup and key in data into the Clean Swell app to contribute to the global database of cleanups by Ocean Conservancy.

Tengku Zatashah, Princess Beach Cleanup in action

Y.A.M Tengku Zatashah binti Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the princess of Selangor, who is also fondly known as ‘Princess Beach Cleanup’, also participated in this year’s ICC. “The International Coastal Cleanup is an event I look forward to every year since 2017. Participating in beach cleanups allows us to see the problem firsthand and take action to address it. I encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our oceans clean.” commented Tengku Zatashah who joined the ICC at Pantai Morib Baharu in Selangor this year.

Proud volunteers of Hapag-Lloyd Business Services Malaysia that cleaned up Pantai Batu 23

This year’s ICC was supported by Hapag-Llyod Business Services Malaysia and KPMG Malaysia. Hapag-Llyod Business Services Malaysia’s volunteers cleaned Pantai Batu 23 for ICC and collected 54.75 kg of trash. KPMG Malaysia chose to clean Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor and collected 126.61kg of trash.

Coastal Cleanup is an event I look forward to every year since 2017. Participating in beach cleanups allows us to see the problem firsthand and take action to address it. I encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our oceans clean.” commented Tengku Zatashah who joined the ICC at Pantai Morib Baharu in Selangor this year.

KPMG volunteers cleared 126.61kg of trash from Pantai Remis

Reef Check Malaysia also held their Kod Blue: Laut Needs You event as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Volunteers for Kod Blue 2024 which happened on 7 September at Kampung Air Batang, Tioman Island, collected 757.7kg of trash from the beach cleanup and 50.8kg of trash from the underwater cleanup. The underwater cleanup team also removed 62 coral predators, the Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COT).

All Kod Blue 2024 volunteers before the cleanups

“The objective of the event is to spread awareness about the issue of marine debris while bringing together the general public and the local community of Tioman Island,” said Theresa Ng, Chief Operating Officer of Reef Check Malaysia. “Kod Blue is an homage to the term used to mean ’emergency’ in the medical field, and ‘blue’ is also a nod to the ocean.”

The second event in the series featured a conservation talk by Reef Check Malaysia’s Chief Programmes Officer, Alvin Chelliah, a special ‘Action Camera Underwater Videography’ workshop by Reef Check Malaysia’s ambassador, Baki Zainal, a beach and underwater cleanup, a ‘Pasar Malam Mesra Alam’ offering local delicacies from the Tioman Island community, a glass crusher and coral block workshop, and a movie night.

Volunteers segregated trash according to types

The event was supported by sponsors including Migalabs, Diamond & Platinum, REEF, Bose, Sol Sauce Sunscreen, Akkord Scents, Nautika Scuba Centre, B&J Diving Centre, Small Towns Malaysia, Ryan’s Special Needs Care Centre, Garmin Malaysia, Cowa, MobyTek, and Nazri’s Place.

“We are grateful for our sponsors for their generous sponsorship and support for Kod Blue 2024.” commented Theresa.

“We also would like to thank our ambassadors, Sharifah Sofia and Baki Zainal, all of our volunteers including representatives from Tioman Development Authority, Department of Fisheries (DOF), Alam Flora, SWCORP ROMPIN, PERHILITAN Department, Tioman Police, SMK Tekek (Nature Lovers Club), and Malaysia Civil Defence Force for participating in our cleanup effort.” added Theresa.

A TMCG member who supported our cleanup weighed all trash collected

Every year, millions of tons of trash—including an estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste—flows into the ocean, impacting more than 800 marine species and even entering the food chain.

“When I first heard about Kod Blue 2024, I was excited, and I think it is a good chance to be part of conservation work with experts in the field. It was not easy to make time for this event, but I am very happy I did. I get to meet like-minded people, and I enjoy every second of the activities. I have a lot of takeaways from this event” commented Yvonne Jong, one of the underwater participants of Kod Blue 2024.

For more information on Reef Check Malaysia, you may visit them on their website, Facebook and Instagram or contact them at hello@reefcheck.org.my.

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