SANDAKAN – The giant barge that damaged the corals in Paradise One, off Mabul Island was carrying construction materials to build the Eastern Sabah Security Command’s (ESSCom) front operation base (FOB) on the island.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said that the project which was awarded to Hartamas Borneo Sdn Bhd’s had had its Proposal for Mitigation Measures (PMM) report approved by the Sabah Environment Protection Department (EPD).
“The project’s PMM report was approved on February 8, this year. However, following this incident, Sabah EPD will continue its investigation and evaluate if there is any breach in conditions of the PMM.
“The ministry will ensure that the affected area will undergo a restoration process. We have directed divers from Sabah Parks and Fisheries Department to conduct an early evaluation to determine the extent of the damage to the corals.
“Immediate restoration control process will be conducted for some corals; by repositioning the corals to ensure its survival. We will start planning for a suitable restoration programme (for the rest),” he said in a statement here today.
Last Friday, Paradise One, a famous dive site off Pulau Mabul, was badly damaged by a giant barge loaded with building materials for a government project on the island.
Jafry said that several officers from the Semporna District Office with other enforcement agencies have inspected the site this morning and found that the barge had been removed from the coral site.
“For the record, the area is not protected under the Sabah Parks or Wildlife Department, and this has made law enforcement harder.
“There is also no law to protect corals outside of protected areas, because such law is also not included under the Fisheries Act 1985,” he said.
Jafry, however, said that the ministry will work with other agencies to ensure the protection of the environment, despite the lack of jurisdiction and enforcement in the area.
“This matter is serious because corals take hundreds of years to grow, are rare and are natural breeding habitat for various marine lives.
“What’s more, Semporna has become an attraction spot for its scuba diving activities among tourists,” he said.
Earlier today, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said that the barge in question was for a project that was under the supervision of the Public Works Department, which falls under his ministry.
Bung said such an incident could have been avoided if supervision of the project was under the Sabah Public Works Department, hinting at conflicting roles between state and federal authorities.
The ESSCom FOB project was announced in January this year to enhance security in the area with an estimated cost of about RM41 million. – The Vibes, June 26, 2021
