KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government must act if there was any "recklessness" detected on the part of a contractor whose barge damaged coral reefs at a popular dive spot at Pulau Mabul in Sabah.

       Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) president Alexander Yee said that the contractor carrying out shoreline development was subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to observe and mitigate any adverse impact within a 200m radius of the project.

       Yee was commenting on the incident on Thursday (June 24) where a barge carrying building materials allegedly scrapped coral reefs at the Paradise One diving spot at Pulau Mabul.

       The contractor was ferrying in building materials for the construction of a forward base under the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) when the barge ran aground.

       Yee said the Environment Protection (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2005 requires the submission of Proposal of Mitigation Measures (PMM) and EIA are mandatory requirements for shoreline development in Sabah under the First and Second Schedules of the Order.

       Furthermore, he said for any shoreline development, an environmental consultant registered with the Environment Protection Department (EPD) has to first conduct an Environmental Assessment report for submission to, and approval by the Sabah EPD prior to project commencement.

       "It is unfortunate that this has happened. The relevant authorities must conduct their investigations and ensure that the contractor is taken to task should there be any evidence of recklessness on their part," he said.

       "It is surprising that with strict rules put in place, a contractor, especially one engaged by our government, can enter an environmentally sensitive area such as Mabul Island and cause such damage," Yee said in a statement on Sunday (June 27).

       On Saturday (June 26), state Tourism, Couture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafri Ariffin said their hands were tied as the area was not under the Marine Parks while there was little law under the Sabah Parks, Wildlife as well Fisheries laws to act against the destruction of the coral reef.

       However, he did ask the state EPD to check whether any breeches had taken place under EIA requirements for the forward base project.

       He also ordered Sabah Parks to spearhead the rehabilitation of the damaged coral reef dive spot.

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