Kota Kinabalu and Mantanani Updates: April – June 2026
Celebrating Our Oceans Through Learning
As part of the 2026 Ocean Celebration, RCM joined conservation partners and marine experts in Sabah to strengthen collaboration and share knowledge for healthier oceans.
Our team participated in hands-on training on MERMAID, a digital platform that helps streamline coral reef survey data, alongside students, government agencies and conservation organisations. We also took part in the World Ocean Day closing ceremony at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), where we showcased our conservation work in Sabah and promoted upcycled keychains handcrafted by the Selakan Marine Conservation Group. From building conservation skills to supporting community livelihoods, the celebration highlighted how collaboration can create lasting impact for both people and our oceans.
Practical session during the MERMAID training
RCM’s booth at the closing ceremony
Working Together for Sabah’s Seas
Protecting our oceans takes strong partnerships. Over the past few months, Reef Check Malaysia has been working closely with KEPKAS, the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Sabah Parks, and other conservation partners to strengthen marine conservation across Sabah.
These discussions focused on preparing for future coral bleaching events, improving waste management in coastal communities, supporting sustainable tourism, and strengthening collaboration on reef monitoring and conservation. By sharing knowledge, coordinating response efforts and working alongside government agencies, we’re helping build a more resilient future for Sabah’s reefs and the communities that depend on them.
Keeping Mantanani Island Clean, One Bottle at a Time
Effective waste management is helping keep Mantanani Island cleaner while protecting the surrounding marine environment. Between April and June 2026, the community collected and transported more than 11.7 tonnes of plastic waste and 870 kg of other waste to the mainland for proper disposal.
During the same period, 22,989 plastic bottles were compressed for recycling, reducing their volume and making transport more efficient. Every bottle recycled and every kilogram of waste removed is part of a growing community effort to keep waste out of the ocean and build a cleaner, more sustainable future for Mantanani.
Recyclables packed and ready to be transported
Boat transporting recyclables out to the mainland
Investing in Community Leaders
Strong communities are at the heart of successful conservation. In June, Reef Check Malaysia brought together 31 representatives from Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCGs) across Sabah for a four-day capacity building workshop focused on leadership, communication, organisational management and conflict resolution.
Through hands-on activities, group discussions and practical simulations, participants strengthened the skills needed to lead their communities and conservation initiatives more effectively. By the end of the workshop, they demonstrated greater confidence, stronger teamwork and more structured approaches to solving challenges—laying an even stronger foundation for community-led marine conservation.
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The oceans have taken care of us for generations. They are one of our biggest sources of natural capital, accounting for 70% of the earth’s surface. Unfortunately, decades of uncontrolled exploitation of our ocean resources has resulted in escalating pollution-induced climate change, allowed the exacerbation of plastic pollution, caused the collapse of many fisheries, destroyed biodiversity and in the end, negatively impacted our economy and social wellbeing.
Would re-energising economies for a post-Covid-19 world mean rolling back on environmental protections on a rapidly changing ocean?
PART 1: SETTING THE SCENE
The Covid-19 pandemic changed almost everything. However, it has shown that large-scale urgent change is possible. The unprecedented level and speed of policy and legislative actions demonstrated our capacity to adapt in the face of profound suffering and loss to our health, livelihoods, economies, and behaviours.
Why Malaysia’s New National Tourism Strategy is a Milestone for the Economy and Conservation
Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) has long been an advocate for a more inclusive, sustainable marine tourism industry in Malaysia, and as such we are pleased to express our strong support for the new National Tourism Policy, announced recently by the Prime Minister.
…it’s how we do tourism that is important.