Johor: Almost 30 per cent of the 261 hard coral species found in Mersing waters are classified as ‘Near Threatened’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, highlighting the need for urgent conservation efforts. Johor Department of Fisheries director Rosmawati Ghazali said that data from the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park showed that 43 per cent of the area is covered by live coral, encompassing 16 families. As part of conservation measures, she said the State Department of Fisheries yesterday anchored 10 cuboid artificial reefs in the waters off Pulau Aur, Mersing, to curb trawling and strengthen marine protection. Rosmawati said the initiative not only aimed to prevent illegal trawling but also served as a new ecosystem to support the growth of fishery stocks.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, research conducted in 2020 by the Southeast Asian Marine Resources Institute (ISMAT) and the Department of Fisheries Malaysia highlighted that a single artificial reef site could produce between 129 kilogrammes and 6,047 kilogrammes of fish biomass, with the highest commercial value reaching RM84,759.60. To date, a total of 247 artificial reef units have been anchored at 12 main locations in Johor waters, with 80 per cent located in the Mersing district, including Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Sibu, Pulau Lima, Pulau Besar, Pulau Mertang, and Air Papan. The total economic value of these reefs is estimated at RM20 million.

This year’s artificial reef anchoring project was carried out with an allocation of RM400,000 under the 12th Malaysia Plan. The effort also supports the state government’s aspirations to boost sustainable tourism ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026, making the islands in the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park a world-class marine tourism destination and a model for sustainable biodiversity management at the national level.