Beacon project helps regenerate coral community off Bintulu

BINTULU: Despite the constant hazards that have devastated coral reefs in Sarawak waters stretching from Sematan to Miri, the coral community at Similajau National Park in Bintulu has shown promising signs of recovery from damage by illegal trawling.

The recovery was largely made possible with timely intervention by Malaysia LNG (MLNG), a subsidiary of Petronas, and Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

Four years ago, the two parties collaborated to carry out reef conservation project known as ‘Beacon project’ to save dying and damaged corals at the national park.

They dropped some 1,500 artificial reef balls along the park’s coast line and hope that corals will grow on them. And since the artificial reef balls are strong enough to damage fishing dragnets, they also hope these artificial objects will deter illegal fishing at the coral reef area.

Four years on, there is an early sign of success. Recently, a group of 30 volunteer divers who did a reef check exercise at Patricia Reef Complex found that corals have grown by more than 15cm long and fully covered the artificial reef balls in just three years after being deployed there.

They also found seven species of hard corals from the family of Acroporidae, Pocilloporidae, and Montiporidae were growing and thriving on artificial reef balls.

The trained divers, who were volunteers from MLNG, SFC, Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia (Bomba) and the Marine Police Department, also noted that the fish population in the area is increasing.

They also discovered more coral trouts, snappers, sweetlips, and cuttlefishes in the area during their reef checking activities known as the ‘annual Beacon reef monitoring’ there from August 31-Sept 2.

Two years ago, the team also reported that green turtles were flocking back to hatch at the beach of the national park after an absence of more than a decade.

The programme is a component of the RM10 million coral reef conservation initiative known as Beacon Project at the Similajau National Park, Bintulu which is jointly undertaken by MLNG and SFC.

Launched in 2013, the Beacon project aims to protect, conserve, regenerate and enhance marine biodiversity especially coral reefs through reef balls deployment at the Similajau National Park waters.

Among the key achievements of the project to date are the deployment of some 1,500 artificial reef balls at the Similajau National Park waters, completion of the RM2 million visitor and Beacon Project interpretation centre at the park, the return of Green turtles to the Similajau beach after seven years absence and 387 turtle hatchlings released to the sea.