KOTA KINABALU: Fully investigate the incident where coral reefs at a renowned dive site in Mabul Island were damaged by a barge and hold those responsible to account, says WWF-Malaysia.

       The nature conservation body said a thorough investigation would ensure accountability in this deeply unfortunate event.

       "WWF-Malaysia also supports relevant government agencies and the Semporna District Officer taking the steps to avoid such devastating cases from happening again in our nation's paradises," WWF-Malaysia said in a statement Tuesday (June 29).

       It also called for utmost importance to be placed in transparency throughout the process of approving development projects.

       In an extremely vulnerable and valuable area such as Mabul Island, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should be carried out to ensure a proper mitigation plan is in place and to avoid destruction due to negligence in sensitive areas.

       An EIA also allows and promotes consultation from stakeholders, such as local communities and government departments. This will ensure a holistic approach in delivering development projects, it said.

       WWF-Malaysia was commenting on the incident where a barge laden with construction materials had scraped coral reefs at the Paradise I and Paradise II dive sites near Mabul on the east coast of Sabah.

       "It is disheartening that the barge has brought devastating damages to years of marine conservation work that have been done together with local communities and our partner organisations.

       "The coral reefs that took decades to thrive were destroyed within seconds," the international NGO said.

       Paradise I and II in Mabul Island are world-famous dive sites - blessed with pristine beaches and water full of biodiversity, WWF-Malaysia noted.

       "Its beauty is not only the pride of the local communities, visitors and divers from all around the world have also travelled miles to experience it," the statement said.

       The coral reefs are important sources of livelihood for the local communities and the tourism sector and the incident not only damaged the ecosystem but also the future livelihood of nearby communities, it added.

       Mabul Island is an important place for the world's biodiversity, as it is part of the Coral Triangle Region - a marine region that spans parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

       The coral triangle, with its abundant biodiversity, contains at least 500 species of reef-building corals.

       Many people, especially coastal communities, rely on coral reef ecosystems for their food and livelihood through fisheries, WWF-Malaysia said, adding that they have been working with local communities to raise awareness on marine resources.

       The NGO noted that through its Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, Mabul Island was identified as one of the most vulnerable islands in Semporna.

       "Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion, provide jobs for local communities, and offer opportunities for marine tourism," said WWF-Malaysia marine head Monique Sumampouw said, adding that they have been working with a youth organisation on Mabul Island and actively involved in coral restoration projects.