By: Zaki Salleh
LUMUT – Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Perak State participated in a Community Conservation Programme to address the threat of ghost nets at Pulau Sembilan State Park.
Perak Maritime Director, Maritime Captain Zainudin Mohd Zuki, said the programme, organised by the Perak State Parks Corporation, focused on removing abandoned fishing nets from the waters.
He said the Perak Maritime team deployed 10 divers and a boat to support marine ecosystem conservation efforts in the area.
The programme also involved representatives from the State Parks Corporation, Department of Fisheries, Marine Department, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Nature and Oceanography Advocate Society (NOAS) and diving groups, with a total of 55 participants.
Ghost nets, which are fishing nets abandoned or lost at sea, can continue to trap and kill marine life while damaging underwater habitats.
The threat can also disrupt the ecological balance, harm marine biodiversity and affect the sustainability of fisheries resources.
Therefore, cooperation between government agencies, NGOs and local communities is essential to ensure conservation efforts are carried out continuously.
Perak Maritime Malaysia also encourages the public to raise awareness of the environmental impact of human activities.
The joint initiative is expected to help preserve the marine ecosystem in Perak’s waters for future generations.
