KOTA KINABALU: A multi-stakeholder meeting will be held on Jan 27 to tackle marine litter near parks here.
Marine Research Foundation (MRF) programme lead for plastics, Chris Chai, said there is persistent marine litter in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) area due to tourism, fishing and possible river run-off.
"To address the issue more holistically, MRF will co-host a stakeholder meeting with Sabah Parks on Jan 27 to discuss long-term waste management solutions for the area.
"The discussion will involve park authorities, tourism operators, restaurant owners, recycling centres and marine conservation groups.
"We want to address the problem at its root. Each stakeholder faces different challenges and this platform will allow us to explore strategic solutions and collaborations," Chai said after an hour-long skimmer boat ride here.
She said she welcomed Sabah Parks' ban on single-use plastics in park areas, but there is a need for alternatives such as water dispensers on islands to reduce dependence on bottled water.
Chai, who is also in charge of the skimmer boat named Mobula 8, said more than 2.3 tonnes of floating marine rubbish have been collected from waters off Kota Kinabalu since the vessel began operations in May, up to December last year.
She said rubbish tended to accumulate in sheltered waters facing the mainland, particularly from Sepanggar to the northeast of Pulau Gaya.
In contrast, areas exposed to stronger winds and currents, such as around Pulau Sapi and Petagas, recorded significantly less debris.
She said plastics made up about 75 per cent of the debris collected.
Chai said MRF is working with recycling partners, including local non-governmental organisation Meraki Daat, which operates a recycling facility off Pulau Gaya.
"All plastics we collected were sent to them. The waste is shredded and combined with sand and cement to produce eco-bricks."
The eco-bricks are used for small-scale construction projects in the village.
The boat also picked up debris such as intact plastic chairs, buckets, slippers, a teddy bear, a diving tank and disposable diapers.
MRF has also conducted training sessions for Kota Kinabalu City Hall contractors on waste segregation and plastic sorting as part of its capacity-building efforts.
"Our landfill is almost full. Plastic doesn't biodegrade easily, so closing the plastic loop is critical."
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