Tourism (including diving, snorkeling, swimming and recreational fishing) in and around Perhentian Marine Park on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is having a negative impact on coral reefs. The authors of this article looked at the most harmful activities that are threatening these ecosystems to guide more effective planning and management.
According to local stakeholders, the activities that are the most harmful to marine habitats in the MPA are littering, discarding fishing equipment, excess fishing, and damage due to too many divers. The researchers make the following recommendations to ensure more protection for coral reefs: reduce and regulate use of coral reefs for tourism activities, conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of land based development activities to determine marine ecosystem impacts, increase effective coordination between agencies and local stakeholders (including fishers), and provide education activities for local communities about the importance of protecting coral reef ecosystems.
Author: Islam, G.M.N., K.M. Noh, T.S. Yew, and A.F.M. Noh
Year: 2013
View Abstract
Journal of Agricultural Science 5(8): 132-141
