International tourists engaged in marine conservation activities in Sabah

 

By Olivia Miwil

olivia@nst.com.my

Pictures courtesy of Barry Richard Yamie.

BEAUFORT: A marine conservation programme off the Pulau Tiga conservation area at Kuala Penyu near here attracted foreign tourists to take part in the activities.

During a recent programme, Sabah Parks staff saw 80 Chinese tourists participate in a coral reef rehabilitation project for Pulau Kalampunian Besar, which is part of the conservation area.

The effort, which was also requested by a resort operator on the island, aims to increase live coral cover and raise awareness of reef conservation among visitors.

Coral reefs in Sabah are experiencing significant depletion due to a combination of climate-driven severe coral bleaching, notably in 2024, outbreaks of coral-eating Crown-of-Thorns starfish (CoT), and human activities such as sedimentation and fish bombing.

Park personnel, led by officer Eddy Robert, explained to visitors that the project would use man-made “coral frame” structures to support transplanted healthy coral fragments while they grow.

During the demonstration, the species used was Acropora sp., a fast-growing branching coral commonly used in reef rehabilitation projects.

Sabah Parks research officer Elvin Michael Bavoh said two coral frames had been prepared for the site.

“Each structure is capable of holding about 40 coral fragments once installation takes place.

“We will try to carry out monitoring about once a month by photographing the condition of the corals, but the schedule may change depending on operational needs and available manpower,” he said.

Elvin added that Sabah Parks is open to collaborating with tourism operators in the future, particularly for programmes that promote environmental awareness.

Chinese tourists accounted for the highest number of international arrivals in Sabah, at 657,528 last year.