Protect Coral Reefs in Malaysia

Tioman Island is famous for marine-based activities, especially scuba diving and snorkelling. With increasing number of tourists to the island, this put pressure on the reefs. In an effort to reduce the pressure on Tioman reefs, we are working with Tioman locals to boost existing land-based activities. Tioman island has rich flora and fauna on its land counterpart, so it will be a waste if these are not appreciated.

Seven jungle trekking tracks, one from each village, were upgraded recently. Some of the works undertaken were removing fallen trees, clearing the path, replacing old ropes with new one, building steps using natural resources where necessary and establishing new look-out point where suitable. The difficulty levels, time to complete, unique floras and faunas usually encountered along the path and attractions such as waterfall and look-out points were recorded.

Our next step will be working on marketing strategies. It is hope that these often forgotten and unpopular attractions will gain traction and as a result diversify income and reduce dependence on coral reefs.