Manjung Fishermen Concerned About Seabed Tin Mining Impact

LUMUT, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Over 1,500 fishermen in northern and southern Manjung district are worried that seabed tin mining at the Segari Forest Reserve coastline could harm their livelihoods and the marine ecosystem.

North Manjung Fishermen Association board member Mohamad Faizal Mat Zin said a comprehensive study, including engagement sessions with the fishing community, should be conducted by the authorities, following the approval of the 326-hectare mining project on Jan 31.

“Stakeholder engagement sessions should be held with us as key stakeholders, particularly the coastal fishermen who depend on this area for their livelihood.

“If this activity proceeds, it will not only affect our income but could also destroy marine life in these waters, which are known to be rich in seafood resources,” he told a press conference on the issue today.

Besides ecosystem destruction, he warned that the mining activity would alter the seabed’s natural landscape.

Mohamad Faizal said such changes would disrupt the seabed contours and water currents, ultimately destroying natural marine habitats.

Meanwhile, fisherman Sarizal Hanafi said the community’s concerns are well-founded, citing the environmental damage caused by a similar tin mining operation in Teluk Mengkudu in Manjung 13 years ago.

“The pollution there was severe, leaving the seawater murky, dirty and foul-smelling. The seabed also became shallower due to sediment deposits from mining waste.

“We don’t want history to repeat itself, and this time, the impact could be even worse since the excavation will cover a much larger area,” he said.

-- BERNAMA