KUALA LUMPUR, 18 MARCH 2024 – The vibrant community of Pulau Redang, Terengganu, has taken an active role in safeguarding their marine ecosystem, with a particular focus on restoring coral reefs. Spearheading this conservation movement is Reef Check Malaysia, which has successfully trained local youths in collaboration with its dedicated initiative, the Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG).

Under the expert guidance of Reef Check Malaysia's Cintai Redang team, six local individuals have undergone comprehensive training. Celebrating its one-year anniversary, RMCG proudly reports remarkable accomplishments: the rescue of 750 coral fragments, the removal of 274kg of ghost nets, and the elimination of 89 Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS), a notorious coral predator. They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SK Pulau Redang to promote awareness on coral reef conservation.

This programme is supported by Yayasan Hasanah and the Ministry of Finance Malaysia, along with the National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF).

The team’s success is also largely attributed to the development of a National Community-based Coral Rehabilitation Toolkit which was in the works in the past year and was piloted by RMCG.

“The toolkit serves as a comprehensive guidebook, providing effective strategies for coral reef rehabilitation that can be utilized by any community committed to coral conservation.” shared Putri Asma, Programme Manager of Cintai Redang.

The toolkit was prepared by Reef Check Malaysia with support from Coralku, Universiti Malaya Terengganu, and Universiti Malaya, and is funded by the National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental  Sustainability.

The toolkit features advice on how to assess and select suitable sites, what practical techniques are available, and how to monitor and maintain the rehabilitation process to ensure long term success. Additionally, it also guides communities on how to develop a programme to involve tourists in rehabilitation efforts, providing a source of income to help keep the programme going.

“We envision the toolkit inspiring greater community participation, fostering a collective commitment to the well-being of our precious coral reefs” added Putri.

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

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