Women folk collecting trash in their village. - Photos: Reef Check Malaysia
KOTA KINABALU: A series of coastal clean-ups in theSemporna district has shown what can achieved when everyone in the community worked with each other for a good cause.
In the clean-ups as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day, which takes place every September, people from the government, private sector, non-governmental organisations and villagers put their heads and hands together to collect 22,880kg of trash.
The rubbish was removed from beaches and coral reefs through both beach and underwater cleanups in the islands of Boheyan, Mabul, Kulapuan and Selakan off the district, that saw the participation of 805 volunteers in the programme initiated by Reef Check Malaysia (RCM).
"Through these cleanups, we not only raise awareness of the critical issues but also promote collaborative actions that everyone can take to address these problems,” said Semporna RCM programme manager Adzmin Fatta on Monday (Sept 30).
Volunteers proud of their effort for the International Coastal Cleanup initiative
“These efforts highlight the growing need to protect our marine environment while engaging the local community in this important cause.
“But beyond these cleanups, we need to look at improving our waste management system and policies, and continue engaging everyone to raise awareness for behavioural change,” he added.
The cleanups in Semporna involved many partners including Sabah Parks, Semporna District Council, District Office, AMWIL Deslen, Semporna Aqua Planet, Makatagih Travel, Seahorse Sipadan Scuba and Big John Scuba among others.
Aside from these, Serasi SK Kg Simunul, Guide Hitam Manis, Eco-Friendly Snorkeling Guide, Hartawan Stabil, Green Semporna, Borneo Komrad, Sekolah Alternatif Semporna, TRACC and several other community conservation groups were also involved.
In addition to land-based cleanups, five underwater clean-ups were conducted, with 63 divers retrieving over 662 kg of trash.
Villagers working together to collect trash.
The trash collected included single-use plastics, ghost nets and fishing lines from the coral reefs surrounding Sibuan Island, Larapan Island, Kulapuan, and Mabul Island.
“During the clean-ups, a total of 222,760 items were collected of which plastic bottles emerged as the most prevalent item collected, accounting for 15.64% of the total trash,” Adzmin said.
“Single-use plastics continue to be the most common item collected, and this highlighted the urgent need to reduce their usage or replace them with more eco-friendly alternatives,” he added.
On Boheyan Island, which is located in close proximity to the tourism destinations of Timba-Timba and Mataking Islands, saw the collection of 3,472.5kg of trash, primarily plastic bottles, with the support of 50 volunteers.
The area, though not open for tourism activities, is inhabited by the Bajau community is well known for its turtle-nesting beaches, and faces regular threats from plastic pollution.
A volunteer removing rubbish on a beach.
"Our islands and reefs in Semporna are often promoted as among the best in the region, but trash pollution is a pervasive threat to our ocean's beauty,” said Massurayah Manimbora, a participant in the Boheyan Island clean-up.
“I hope these cleanup efforts become an annual event recognised by the local government, with broader participation from the public and tourism operators.”
On Mabul Island, the island’s cleanliness management committee mobilised over 300 islanders to clean up their community, resulting in 14,166.9kg of trash collected, with the majority of the waste consisting of old clothes, plastic bottles, household appliances, and plastic bags.
Adzmin said that RCM aims to foster a united effort to tackle the environmental challenges that Semporna faces.
"Many of these issues can only be addressed effectively if we work together. We are grateful for the support of local government agencies, tour operators, private companies, and, most importantly, the local communities who participated in this event,” he said.
