13/07/2025

NATIONAL 6 theSun on Sunday JULY 13, 2025

Ugly side to island tourism

PETALING JAYA: As island getaways in Malaysia grow in popularity, marine conservationists are raising red flags over the environmental toll, warning that unchecked tourism is placing coral ecosystems at serious risk. Popular spots such as Perhentian, Redang and Tioman islands are facing mounting pressure from overcrowding, anchor damage and harmful tourist behavior, all of which are threatening the fragile marine ecosystems. Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures co-founder Daniel Quilter said official monitoring in 2024 showed Perhentian experienced heavy coral bleaching, with over 50% of reefs affected. “During school holidays, the Overwhelming visitors impacting coral reefs and marine ecosystems Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

harms the ecosystem. But as long as it gets likes on social media, it continues. “These might seem like small issues on their own, but when you multiply them across thousands of visitors, the impact on the reef becomes significant.” Quilter said while various reef monitoring initiatives run year-round, efforts become more focused during bleaching events, adding that a weekly coral bleaching monitoring programme was activated by DOF during the 2024 incident in Perhentian. He said during previous coral bleaching events, no official reef closures were enforced. But in 2010, the Marine Parks Department closed several reef sites to tourists due to the severity of bleaching. “Typically, when bleaching levels reach around 80%, DOF will start considering temporary site closures to allow the reefs time to recover. However, I believe action should be taken earlier. Sites should be closed once bleaching reaches 50% because that level is already very high and significant. We should not wait

number of local tourists in Perhentian, Redang and Tioman skyrockets. “Without a cap on tourist numbers, the situation will keep worsening. In Redang, there are multiple jetties and many are not under the Fisheries Department’s (DOF) control, so there is no coordinated way to manage visitor flow,” he told theSun . Quilter said beyond physical damage, there are also less visible but equally harmful threats to reef health, including sunscreen washing off into the water, sewage issues and small oil leaks from boats. He said in Peninsular Malaysia, marine parks are managed by DOF, but its jurisdiction only extends up to the high-tide mark. “Many of the threats to reefs actually originate on land, from poor tourism planning to sewage discharge and DOF has no authority to control these. “We are seeing troubling behaviour being posted online, such as tourists swimming with turtles that were fed by boat operators to attract them. Feeding marine wildlife disturbs natural behaviour and

Coral bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise above the tolerance of corals. – PIC COURTESY OF PERHENTIAN MARINE RESEARCH STATION

tourists, even if it means increasing prices, and promote community-led conservation efforts such as the Anak Pulau initiative in Perhentian and the Redang Marine Conservation Group to ensure long-term reef protection. “Sabah has already shown that it can be done. They have implemented diver limits at Sipadan Island and it works.”

until the damage becomes too severe before responding.” Quilter added that coral bleaching occurs when sea temperatures exceed the tolerance of corals, causing them to expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae, a process triggered by prolonged heat stress linked to climate change. Quilter said Malaysia should focus on limiting the number of

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