108 bags of trash collected from beach
MANGGATAL: The Borneo Blue Conservancy (BBC) together with the villagers of Kampung Kebagu here organized a beach clean-up at their village, in conjunction with the Ocean Conservation For All (OC4A) program on Saturday.
The OC4A is a one-day programme aimed at creating awareness on ocean conservation and to give the coastal community an opportunity to contribute to the marine environment.
It was organized by the BBC in collaboration with the Endangered Marine Species Research Unit (UEMS) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) through the Coral Triangle Initiative, Sabah Branch (CTI-SAB).
The successful event, which saw the BBC and villagers collect a total of 108 bags of trash also featured talks from experts which covered topics such as Endangered and Protected Marine Species by Dr John Madin (UMS), Sustainability and Marine Debris by Melissa Leong (Borneo Eco Film Festival), and Importance of Coral Reef and Reef Conservation by Nadhrirah Rifai (Reef Check Malaysia).
The programme also featured interactive activities related to endangered marine species specifically sharks and rays, which was conducted by the Endangered Marine Species Research Unit (UEMS) for the schoolchildren.
Also present at the event was Kampung Kebagu village chief Haji Wid Musi.
“Our beach used to be clean but it has changed over time due to pollution. Marine rubbish is not only an eyesore but will also invite diseases. We really hope that more initiative will be taken to overcome this problem,” he said.
One of the villagers also echoed Wid’s contention and expressed his hope that his beloved beach would one day be clean and free from rubbish, especially empty plastic bottles.
Meanwhile OC4A project manager Nadine Stanley Mopilin stressed that plastic waste are harmful to marine animals, especially sea turtles, dolphins and other large mammals because they may see plastic waste as food.
“In order to tackle the problem, it is vital for us to inform the public regarding these issues, especially the coastal communities,” she added.
Also present were N.12 Karambunai Community Development Officer, Marino Ahmad, representative from Coral Triangle Initiative, and the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) chairmen.
It was understood that the BBC is an assemblage of youth that was formed in July 2017 during the Borneo Eco Warriors program by Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).
The camp was partially funded by the Borneo Eco Warriors Workshop under the US Mission to Asean through YSEALI Seeds For Future Grant, and supported by Cultural Vistas, the Coral Triangle Initiative and Kota Kinabalu City Hall.