Cyanide and blast fishing meet population explosion

To help save the reefs of Malaysia, get active with these groups:

Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang

Sahabat Alam Malaysia

World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia

Cover Me: Malaysian reefs like this one off Borneo are threatened by pollution and silt from coastal construction. Photo: Jones / Shimlock

Malaysian coral reefs are being poisoned and choked by organic pollution and sedimentation, particularly from construction near the Palau Redang marine reserve. Reefs off Sabah are being overexploited, and the Malay Peninsula's reefs as a whole are expected to decline significantly due to increasing water pollution and sediment loads during the next 20 years.

In February 1998 Japan and Malaysia announced they would jointly survey marine pollution in the Strait of Malacca, where mangroves and coral reefs are vanishing. The two countries will study the heavily trafficked strait's corals and fisheries, as well as pollution caused by spills of heavy metals, agricultural chemicals, and oil, in order to establish guidelines for preserving its health.