Project to create marine habitats off Gaya Island
KOTA KINABALU: Petronas in collaboration with the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) recently deployed 20 Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) in waters off Gaya Island.
The FAD project, which is part of Petronas’ and MMEA’s Sahabat Maritim programme, aims to create an alternative fishing ground located away from restricted areas near offshore oil and gas facilities through the deployment of the FAD devices, which is known locally as unjamunjam.
Petronas’ General Manager of Upstream Strategic Communications, Aimy Zairin Mohamed said, “Through the support from MMEA and LKIM, we are able to put in place necessary measures to ensure the safety of people around our area of operations, which includes conducting awareness programmes to minimise maritime accidents and encroachment into restricted areas, especially among the fishing communities. We have also deployed FAD as an effort to provide alternative fishing area, away from the restricted areas.
“Besides safety, the Sahabat Maritim programme further aims to create long-term benefits for the fishing communities,” he added.
In addition, Petronas also handed over 30 packages containing food items such as rice and cooking oil to those participated in the FAD project.
Also present were MMEA’s Principal Assistant Director of Enforcement and Maritime Exercises for Sabah and Labuan, Maritime Commander Mahkos Ak Juing and Deputy Director of LKIM Sabah, Saliah Hj Mudin and Head of Petronas Sabah and Labuan, Siti Ayu Abdul Wahab.
Sahabat Maritim is a safety outreach programme initiated in 2015 for coastal communities, especially the fishing communities in Sabah and Labuan, aimed at educating on the dangers of vessel encroachment within the 500metre safety radius surrounding Petronas’ offshore operations.