Particularly for the system of fish aggregating and marine rehabilitation device, the community will benefit through the generation of income from sport and leisure fishing activities. They provide boat services and sell baits for fishing. This is underway on a small scale initially. Aquaculture is being considered with expert advice provided on the right type of fish or marine creatures that are suitable in the waters and their lucrative economics. Next is the potential of a floating seafood restaurant that will stand in as a guard house or surveillance centre for the area. The community participating in the project has indicated interests to pursue this prospect.
The APEHAL project under this Project is an innovative technology that, from our experience, has never been introduced and implemented elsewhere. An article entitled The Making a system of fish aggregating device (APEHAL) is invented under this project for marine life rehabilitation, it shown good result at this initiate status, long term monitoring is required. An article on the making of this device is produced for the benefit of implementer who want to use thgis system. It can be replicated elsewhere for fish aggregation and marine resource conservation and rehabilitation.
Planning non gef grant
The project grantee planned to scale up this project, firstly in increasing the number of locations for the the system of fish aggregating device in clusters to increase its effectiveness. This is with regard to the fact that the river is 5km long and the number of APEHAL clusters deployed were at 14 locations only. Considering a location of 100 meters apart, there would need to be more units to deploy to additional 36 other locations. This positions need to be studied and identified. Some further studies are also required to ascertain their effectiveness. This can be undertaken with the collaboration of universities namely, UKM, UiTM and USM in the relevant expertise. Long term assessment of water quality to determine if there are any adverse effects on the environment from the use of tyres and polypipes in APEHAL.
Secondly, there need to be a program for surveillance and security to deter poaching and encroachment. For this to be effectively undertaken, the area should be gazetted as a marine life conservation area. A community association or a cooperative together with FLAG will organise a management team. A token donation can be raised among the community and management in the longer term.
Policy Influence
The project team is in discussion with fishery department and state government to gazette the river into three zones: green (free fishing zone), Orange (restricted zone) and red (prohibited zone). It has been suggested that no nets will be allowed to be deployed for fishing and that only rod and lines be permitted.
Project Results
The project has achieved most of the objectives outlined in terms of providing awareness on the Geopark concept of conservation, education on the environment and natural assets and as well opening the windows for socioeconomic benefits.
The potential benefits to the socioeconomy can be attributed to the artificial reefs for fish aggregation, which showed positives sign for convenient harvest of fish in areas not so far out into the open seas. Local fishermen have started to fish in the new area as reported by the fishermen themselves. A sportfishing boat operator indicated that he brings groups to the project area on fishing trips on bad weather. A lady who sells live shrimps as baits has reported brisk sale. These are short term qualitative measure of the benefits. In the longer term, we expect better economic benefits to surface as the reefs mature and fish population further increase. Spill-over effects of the reef is an expectation we hope to achieve and can only be ascertained in the medium term.
The Marine Life Rehabilitation Device (APAHAL) project can be upscaled and replicated in other areas of similar conditions, particularly in a tidal river. It has great potential in further harnessing fish population and being the secondary habitat for marine live, completing the primary habitat of marine life breeding and spawning in the mangrove enclave lining up the total 5 kilometer stretch of the river.
Furthermore, there lie great potential for auxiliary facilities and activities in the area such as recreational and leisure sportfishing, aquaculture, kayaking, mangrove yours, bird watching and a floating restaurant. It calls for a concerted effort among the community, relevant government and the the tourism industry players.
The local community involved in the project are already discussing about setting up a boathouse as a fishing platform and a centre for keeping vigil and surveillance of the area against encroachment large fishing boats and netting by poachers. In this regard, the proposal to gazet the river area as a conservation and fish sanctuary need to be aggressively pursued.
There is the potential to initiate a research study to ascertain the empirical effects of the APEHAL both the positive effects. The negative concern that the use of tyres and polypipes on water quality and will be established and the move forward in the longer term can be established. This is also an exercise to improve academic knowledge and advancement in research on marine resource conservation and fishing technology.
FLAG has verbally requested that a case study be undertaken by the Langkawi Research Centre under LESTARI, UKM.
The project has achieved most of the objectives outlined in terms of providing awareness on the Geopark concept of conservation, education on the environment and natural assets and as well opening the windows for socioeconomic benefits.
The potential benefits to the socio-economy can be attributed to the artificial reefs for fish aggregation, which showed positives sign for convenient harvest of fish in areas not so far out into the open seas. Local fishermen have started to fish in the rehabilitated area as reported by the fishermen themselves. A sportfishing boat operator indicated that he brings groups to the project area on fishing trips when they cannot go out to the sea. A lady who sells live shrimps as baits has reported brisk sale. These are short term qualitative measure of the benefits. In the longer term, it is expected better economic benefits to surface as the reefs mature and fish population further increase.
The Marine Life Rehabilitation Device (APAHAL) project can be upscaled and replicated in other areas of similar conditions, particularly in a tidal river. It has great potential in further harnessing fish population and being the secondary habitat for marine live, completing the primary habitat of marine life breeding and spawning in the mangrove enclave lining up the total 5 kilometer stretch of the river. A manual on the construction of the device is produced in this project.
Furthermore, there lie great potential for auxiliary facilities and activities in the area such as recreational and leisure sportfishing, aquaculture, kayaking, mangrove yours, bird watching and a floating restaurant. It calls for a concerted effort among the community, relevant government and the tourism industry players.
The local community involved in the project are already discussing about setting up a boathouse as a fishing platform and a centre for keeping vigil and surveillance of the area against encroachment large fishing boats and netting by poachers. In this regard, the proposal to gazet the river area as a conservation and fish sanctuary need to be aggressively pursued.
There is the potential to initiate a research study to ascertain the empirical effects of the APEHAL both the positive effects. The negative concern that the use of tyres and polypipes on water quality and will be established and the move forward in the longer term can be established. This is also an exercise to improve academic knowledge and advancement in research on marine resource conservation and fishing technology.
A Guide Map produced under the project would complement further development of the Tuba Selat Dayang Bunting area where tourism trails and tour can be better organized. This will generate socioeconomic activities such as boat service, transport bike rentals as well accommodation of homestays and lodges as well as eatery stalls and restaurant.
