MAFI targets 10 per cent of country's waters to be Marine Protected Areas by 2030

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 -- The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (MAFI) is committed to ensuring that 10 per cent of the country's waters are protected under the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) or through effective area management methods by 2030.

In a statement today, MAFI said the target, in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) World Oceans Day (June 8) and UN Coral Triangle Day (June 9), was in line with obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals, National Agro-Food Policy 2.0 and National Biodiversity Policy 2016-2025.

The ministry also said that the commitment was in line with the evaluation criteria under the Global Food Security Index in which so far only 5.3 per cent of the country's waters are protected and most of the MPAs are located in the waters of Sabah and Sarawak.

"To achieve this target, the ministry through the Malaysian Fisheries Department has identified several areas that have the potential to be gazetted as a marine park.

"To gain the support of stakeholders, the Malaysian Fisheries Department conducts consultation sessions with local residents, government agencies and non-governmental organisations," it said.

MAFI said that to balance the latest developments and technology, marine resource management programmes would be enhanced as well as maintaining and improving the existing MPAs to ensure Malaysia remained relevant as a developing country and balanced in development and environment.

In this regard, MAFI called on state governments to work hand in hand with the federal government to achieve the target.

"The ministry would like to congratulate and appreciate the Johor government which has approved the gazetting of a new marine park in the waters of Mersing, namely Kepulauan Lima, with an area of ​​299 square kilometres," he said.

According to MAFI, the Finance Ministry has approved an allocation of RM70 million this year as an incentive through the "Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation" instrument to support the implementation of biodiversity conservation programmes and projects.

He said it was also to encourage the gazetting of more protected areas by the state government.

Apart from that, MAFI said the country's fisheries industry contributed RM13.84 billion to the gross domestic product in 2020 with marine ecosystem services in marine parks estimated to contribute RM8.7 billion a year.

It also said Malaysia is one of the 17 countries listed as a megadiverse countries and located within the waters of the Coral Triangle due to its high biological diversity.

-- BERNAMA