Pulau Sembilan Clean-up Collects 2.2 Metric Tonnes Of Waste And Ghost Nets

SERI MANJUNG, July 31 (Bernama) -- A total of 2.247 metric tonnes of waste, including marine fishing gear, plastic, aluminum, and glass, was collected at Pulau Sembilan in Bagan Datuk during the Pulau Sembilan Conservation Day 2024, which took place yesterday.

Organised by the Perak State Parks Corporation, the clean-up also retrieved ghost nets (fishing nets that have been abandoned, lost, or discarded at sea) from coral reefs around the waters of the nine islands, which were gazetted as a state park on Oct 14, 2010.

The operation was a collaborative effort involving volunteers and divers from the Nature & Oceanography Advocate Society (NOAS), the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Friends of Nature Activist Association (KUASA), Ipoh Lions Club, Lumut Port, and Ipoh Hard Rock Cafe.

Also present at the cleanup was the Raja Di Hilir of Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Sultan Idris Shah, accompanied by Perak State Secretary Datuk Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim.

Others included Manjung District chief Datuk Shaharudin Nazari, State Fisheries director Mohd Ghazali A. Manap, and Manjung Municipal Council president Muhammad Faizal Shah Safian Suri.

Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain expressed pride in the role played by all parties in raising awareness about marine conservation and the importance of the sea among the community.

"In marine conservation, we must act wisely to ensure significant impact, including prioritising the crucial ecosystems.

"We must manage and clean not only the surface but also the seabed, as we have done today. If not properly maintained and conserved, the rich marine biodiversity in Pulau Sembilan will undoubtedly decline and face extinction," he said.

He emphasised that the commitment of everyone is needed to preserve the unique treasures and beauty of Pulau Sembilan and protect it from irresponsible actions.

Pulau Sembilan, known for its rich marine biodiversity and the unique blue phytoplankton, was closed to tourists in 2017 for rehabilitation purposes.

The island has often been targeted by foreign fishermen who encroach and then cut their nets to evade capture by authorities.

These nets then drift into the waters, becoming a death trap to marine life and posing a threat to the coral reefs, which are vital sources of food and breeding grounds for marine life.

-- BERNAMA