Protect Coral Reefs in Malaysia

Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been left or lost in the ocean by fishermen. They often get stuck on reefs which can damage corals and trap marine life such as shark, turtle and fish. Very often they cause death or injuries to the trapped marine life by restricting their movement, causing starvation, laceration and infection, and suffocation in those that need to return to the surface to breathe.

This year alone, more than 2 tonnes of ghost nets were removed from Tioman Island. If this is not done, the nets can continue to catch and trap its victims. Given the high-quality synthetics that are used today in making fishing nets, the destruction can continue for a long time. Therefore, it is imperative that these ghost nets are removed from the reefs as soon as possible every time after a report was received. The success of these efforts on Tioman Island was due to the collaboration between Reef Check Malaysia, Department of Fisheries Pahang, Tioman Marine Conservation Group and Tioman Dive Association.