25 artificial reefs built at a cost of less than RM20

By Olivia Miwil - November 27, 2018 @ 1:16pm

Volunteers building artificial reef and planting coral using traditional mixture of mudball glue at Mari Mari sepanggar island. (NSTP/COURTESY of SABAH TOURISM AND CULTURE MINISTRY)

KOTA KINABALU: Dive operators now have options of building artificial reefs and coral planting at cheaper costs for conservation and luring tourists.

State Tourism and Culture (Motac) director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said the building method uses bricks for reefs, and mixture of cement and mangrove soil as a “mudball glue” for reef structure and to plant coral underwater.

“The method, which is being done underwater, reduces or minimises exposure towards sensitive corals.

“As compared to the conventional way of doing this on land, the ‘mudball glue’ can harden underwater,” he said, adding there would be an effort to patent the method and commercialise it among operators.

Ahmad was speaking during a recent three-day Volunteerism programme on Artificial Reefs and Coral Planting at Mari Mari Sepanggar Island, here.

The activity, which is a continuation of the ministry’s promotional “End in Sipadan” programme last year, is a collaboration among Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Backpackers Association (SBA), Sabah Media Dive team as well as ND Divers and Homestay.

Throughout the programme, 25 artificial reefs with corals planted on those platforms were built with a bag of cement worth about RM17.

On the conceptualisation idea of the “mudball glue“, SBA president Dares Saham said it was a traditional practice by his ancestors to fix holes on fishing boats.

“It costs only about RM0.20 per mud ball as compared to RM20 for commercialised glue for the reef,” he added.

Meanwhile, state Tourism Malaysia director Jamilah Abdul Halim also said it is a niche market to offer environmentally oriented programme for tourists who are conscious of sustainability .

“Tourism Malaysia wants repeat tourists, (building artificial reefs and coral planting) can be done in packages to be offered to them,”she added.