Guest guest Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/10/28/features/6562499 & sec=\ features ________________________ Tuesday October 28, 2003 Practical procedure Malaysian Nature Society science and conservation committee chairman Dr Leong Shown Chong shares his views on Reef Check and how it will help Pulau Redang in the long run. What is Reef Check & #8217;s main strength? Reef Check is a good idea because the simplicity of the procedure allows broader grassroots involvement. If it is a pure scientific study, it becomes very technical and limits the number of people who can actually join in. You & #8217;ll need to have a degree or be a scientist. With something as simple and comprehensive like Reef Check, everyone can take part; the scope is extended to a lot of people. It also allows the local community to get involved in conserving its natural resources, and that is the main strength of Reef Check. How can Reef Check help the reefs in Redang? First of all we want to know what the status of the reefs in Pulau Redang is. We have reports that say all is not well, but we need physical evidence to back up our claims, especially if we want to convince the authorities to formulate a better management plan for Redang. To achieve this, we need to get baseline data which reef checks can provide. How will the data be used? Data helps because we need hard data to make proper decisions. Without hard data, we are just relying on a lot of guesswork, and depending on which side we are on, the arguments could be endless. But with hard data to show that within a span of three years a certain keystone species has disappeared from the reefs, that should be a very persuasive argument that something should be done. Besides that, it also gives us a picture of the state of the coral reefs at Redang. However, if reef checks are to be a useful tool, we need to do it on a regular basis. Then we can monitor the changes over time in Redang and it becomes a more dynamic study, the value of which will become more apparent over time. What is MNS & #8217; role in Redang? MNS is here to play an advisory role. We can do the networking and arrange the linkages for the programme to take off. But we really hope to see the local population & #8211; those who have a direct stake in Redang & #8211; take the lead and be responsible for the future direction of this programme. They cannot expect other people to do their work for you. That & #8217;s why we hope to have intelligent, involved grassroots participation. We need to educate the people about conserving their livelihood, and Reef Check is part of the education process. We need firstly to demonstrate the relevance of education. And that relevance can be amply demonstrated if people see for themselves the rate of destruction that is going on right under their noses. The most important people would still be the local population, especially local resort and dive operators. The local operators are in the front line and come in contact with all the tourists. Thus they are well-placed for education and conservation work. If they rise up to the occasion, which is happening on this project, then it is a wonderful beginning. Would conducting reef checks now be too late for the reefs in Redang? Reef checks may be long-term based, but it is still better to start now than never. Certain areas have not yet arrived at that level of exploitation, so the pressure is not as intense. If done properly, reef check data will help, but we have to keep at it and get the local population involved. Do you foresee any problems with conducting reef checks here? Not really. The procedure is simple enough. If there are any problems, it will be a matter of cost. Although it is much cheaper than other forms of scientific surveys, there is significant costs involved because we still need dive equipment. So the question is, who is going to bear this cost? The resort operators may be able to subsidise the checks, but for how long? People need to understand that reef checks should be done on a long-term basis. The reef check that we have conducted recently is just a snapshot, a static picture of what the reef looks like now. What we want is a more dynamic picture to see how the reef changes, and that is when the data becomes more meaningful. I would be greatly encouraged if these volunteers carry out reef checks on a regular basis, with a definite calendar for this activity. It needs to be done regularly for it to have any meaning and use. The resort operators must understand this and have this level of commitment. & #8211; By Michael Cheang<p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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