Love our seas: Maritime Institute of Malaysia

Dr Pola Singh The Star 8 Jun 10;

MANY of us associate the oceans and seas only with the fish and shrimps we eat, the beach we visit occasionally, and the holiday cruises we take. We take our oceans and seas for granted even though 70% of the Malaysian population live along coastal areas. In reality, the oceans and seas mean a lot more.

The vast quantities of food provided by the oceans depend on coastal and marine ecosystems that are complex and fragile. Malaysia’s extensive coastline is blessed with a variety of ecosystems such as mangrove forests, inter-tidal mudflats and seagrass beds while offshore, there is an extensive network of coral reefs and globally significant marine biodiversity.

Our coral reefs provide nursery and feeding grounds for fishes. Besides protecting shorelines by absorbing the wave energy, they are also a source of many life-saving discoveries, for instance, medicine for cancer and heart disease has been discovered in bioactive compounds produced in corals.

Coral reefs are extremely sensitive to their surroundings, and can die from changes in temperature and salinity, and from pollutants. Today, coral reefs, like mangroves and seagrasses, are threatened by natural and human-induced factors. Deforestation sends out large quantities of soil that cloud up the water and smother corals, which then cannot get enough light to survive.

The conversion of mangroves and sea grass areas into prawn and fish farms and for other coastal development not only degrade these ecosystems, but also damage coral reefs. Without mangroves and seagrasses which act as filters, more sediment will smother the corals. Between 1980 and 2004, Malaysia lost about 23% of its mangroves.

Fertiliser run-offs, human sewage and faecal matter from mariculture farms flow into coastal waters and lead to rapid growth of algae which choke coral polyps, cutting off their supply of light and oxygen.

Trash can also kill coral reef life. Turtles, mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish, choke on them. Fishes are also known to eat small plastic pellets in the water, mistaking them for food. Coral reefs are often dynamited to harvest small fish. Fishermen also use potassium cyanide to stun and capture valuable reef fishes for aquariums or “live fish” restaurants. Divers squirt a cyanide solution from bottles directly onto the fish resting on corals, killing the corals and stunning the fish.

Although marine tourism is a growing revenue earner it is not without adverse impact. Careless boating, diving, fishing and other recreational uses of coral reef areas can cause damage to them. Well-meaning tourists feed reef fishes but are contributing to change in their feeding behaviour. The fish do not graze anymore on algae which then grow to choke the corals. Nature-based ecotourism activities should be encouraged to limit the destruction caused by mass tourism activities.

Oil spills from ships, and petroleum products and other chemicals dumped near coastal waters eventually find their way to the reefs, poisoning coral polyps and other marine life.

Increasing and intensifying coastal development activities and land reclamation also inflict untold damage to our fragile ecosystems.

The government has initiated many efforts in the areas of marine biodiversity conservation, pollution prevention and coastal management by enacting various legislations. One significant achievement is the establishment of marine parks in the waters surrounding 42 islands.

However, government efforts alone are not enough. The community and the individual must share the responsibility. We must learn to appreciate the importance of coastal and marine ecosystems which provide food, coastal protection and water purification that are vital to sustain our well-being. Here’s what you can do:

> Reduce the number of plastic bags.

> Get involved in beach clean-ups.

> Take all your trash home with you if you go to the beach.

> Don’t buy exotic fish for your aquarium or consume “live” captured (as opposed to cultured) fish at restaurants. Don’t buy fish that have ruptured swim bladders as they are clearly caught by blast fishing.

> Refrain from feeding reef fish or touching corals.

> Voice your concern about destructive coastal development and land reclamation activities.

n The writer is the director-general of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia.