‘Use infrared technology to boost monitoring of oil dumping’

KUALA LUMPUR: A more concerted effort by all agencies is needed to monitor and tackle oil dumping in Malaysian waters.

Dr Harinder Rai Singh, who is Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Faculty of Applied Sciences lecturer, said enforcement agencies need to use the latest technology to boost monitoring of such illegal activities.

Harinder, who is also a member of the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences, said to prevent a recurrence of oil-dumping cases like that in Kota Tinggi, Johor, more resources need to be allocated to enforcement agencies.

He believed that the major perpetrators were foreign vessels which passed through Malaysian waters.

“The Malaysian waters and ports are patrolled and monitored by the authorities, including the Straits of Malacca.

“The Straits of Malacca is easier to monitor and patrol as the area is smaller and the authorities are able to spot illegal activities.

“Ports located along the South China Sea, however, are more difficult to monitor given the larger coverage area.

“This could be a factor behind the relative ease with which passing foreign vessels dump waste, especially at night.”

Harinder said the use of infrared technology could help the authorities address this problem.

“For passing vessels, we can use satellites to track them and extrapolate the data by gathering where the ships have gone.

“Drones can be used to monitor the ships but these efforts must be made in collaboration of the agencies.”

Harinder’s recommendation echoes calls by environmentalists for increased patrols by the authorities to ensure that the Johor port is not only kept clean, but also to capture polluters and penalise them according to the law.

On April 18, the Johor Marine Department detected a 1km oil spill in the Tanjung Balau waters.

It was estimated that 300 tonnes of marine fuel oil had been discharged into the sea and the spill covered an area spanning four nautical miles from the coast.