MIRI: The final deployment of reef balls in Niah-Suai waters has been a success.
Some 600 reef balls were lowered since March 22 into the Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park (MSCRNP) here.
The effort is a collaboration between the Sarawak government and Petronas Sarawak under the Eco-Marine project.
The five-year project, which kicked off in 2015, aims to deploy 1,750 reef balls in three stages to protect the natural reefs and marine life in the area from illegal trawling activities, while creating new diving and sport fishing sites to boost ecotourism within the 186,939ha MSCRNP in northern Sarawak.
Some 550 artificial reef balls were deployed in 2016 in Sibuti-Bungai waters and another 600 were deployed last year, while the remaining 600 were deployed yesterday.
Deputy State Secretary (Rural Transformation) Datuk Jaul Samion said after the final deployment, the government via the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) would be shifting its attention to Lawas.
“The project aims to improve fish and other marine life in MSCRNP, as evidenced by the success in the waters of Sematan where the amount of catch had improved significantly after reef balls were deployed,” he said.
“As we progressively keep the waters of Miri-Sibuti away from illegal trawlers, marine species would be able to grow and reproduce, providing a consistent source of income for traditional fishermen living along the shores of Miri-Sibuti.”
Besides, he said, more ecotourism activities such as diving and sport fishing could then be further explored, developed and promoted at the national park.
Meanwhile, Bekenu assemblyman Rosey Yunus hoped that the project would benefit villagers in and around the area, including those residing in Kampung Lajong.
Kampung Lajong has a population of about 300 and most of them are fishermen.
Also present during the event were Petronas Sarawak general manager Zulaihi Mohd Mantali, SFC general manager Oswald Braken and Regional Fisheries III Miri chairman Buniamin Kiprawi.
