Is Malaysia risking its world-class coral reefs for offshore oil?
A new report reveals that 86 per cent of the country’s sensitive marine environments overlap with active or proposed oil and gas blocks
Every booking inquiry that lands in dive operator Richard Swann’s inbox these days carries the same undertow of anxiety. Before his clients commit to a dive trip off Kota Kinabalu, they want reassurance: are Sabah’s reefs still worth the journey?
“Visitors increasingly ask about reef health, coral bleaching, marine protection and sustainability before they even make a booking,” said Swann, the director of marine tour agency Downbelow.
Sabah sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region on the planet, hosting more than 76 per cent of the world’s coral species and fisheries that feed millions across Southeast Asia.
Yet a first-of-its-kind report by environmental watchdog RimbaWatch has found that 86.8 per cent of Malaysia’s sensitive marine environments lie within oil production areas.
Released on June 8, the report maps active and proposed offshore oil and gas blocks against coral reefs, marine protected areas and the broader Sulu-Sulawesi Ecoregion.