Coral reefs take 5-10 years to fully develop: Tourism players
Published on: Saturday, September 14, 2019
By: Patimang Abdul Ghani
A boat moving dangerously close above the coral reefs.
Photo Source: Kudat Turtle Conservation Society FB Page
KUDAT: Tourism players here said coral reefs take about five to 10 years to fully develop, hence, they are hoping related agencies will take action to restore the coral reefs in waters off here that were destroyed by the stranded merchant ship incident on Aug 8.Ivan Tan, founder of Bluefin Surf and Dive who inspected the affected area with several other divers, said the incident damaged coral reefs in the area.ADVERTISEMENT
“It has created a new canal, apart from damaging the coral reefs. A particular dive spot called ‘Nemo point’ was, however, not affected,” he said in a statement.
Tan, who was taking a few tourists for snorkelling, was shocked to see the ship in the shallow area at 9am on the day of the incident.
According to him, a similar incident occurred in the 70s or 80s but this time it was worse as it jeopardised not only coral reefs but also turtles.
The island is a part of the 898,762.76-hectare Tun Mustapha Park that offers a unique biodiversity ecosystem.ADVERTISEMENT
It is also a habitat for few endangered species such as the green turtle and dugong.
Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS) Chairperson, Sofia Johari, said according to a research done by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the affected area is a very important area in their effort to protect the green and hawksbill turtles.
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Kudat Police Chief DSP Mohd Firdaus Francis Abdullah said the captain and 14 other crew were on their way to Kemaman from Sandakan when the incident happened.
He said the captain handed his task over to his assistant to navigate the ship to its next destination.
“The captain who was asleep rushed to the ship’s deck when he felt a tremor and found the ship had already hit the shallow area in the waters off Kalampunian Island.
“The ship got stranded on Aug 7 and the captain called the management for help,” he said.
According to him, upon inspection, all the captain and crew had valid documents and all of the ship’s equipment also complied with the Merchant Shipping Order (MSO).
Meanwhile, Sabah Parks is taking a serious view of the incident and will take action once the investigation under the Parks Enactment 1984 is completed.
Its Director Dr Jamili Manao said the 84-metre cargo ship was stranded on a reef, about five nautical miles off Kalampunian Island.
“If found guilty, the concerned company will be held responsible,” he said.
He said the company’s agent towed the cargo ship to deeper waters on Wednesday.
“However, Sabah Parks does not allow the vessel to sail out until the documentation requirements for the investigation of the case are completed,” he said in a statement.
Jamili said following the incident, the affected areas have been temporarily closed to the public to facilitate investigation, assessment and damage control.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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According to him, divers’ of various agencies led by Sabah Parks were preparing to conduct an evaluation of the affected coral reefs.
“Sabah Parks will evaluate the damage and future restoration-related cost, as well as to ensure that coral restoration in the area involves stakeholders.”