Local Community-based Marine Management and Conservation in Malaysia

Chelliah, A.J., Yaman, S., Megat Yusop, P.A., Atteleth, D.P., Fatta, A., Chen, S.Y. and Hyde, J. (2025). Local Community-based Marine Management and Conservation in Malaysia. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15826825

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ABSTRACT

Malaysia is rich in marine biodiversity and many Malaysians depend on marine resources for their daily needs. However, the country’s coral reefs are increasingly threatened by the growing tourism industry, unsustainable fishing practices and global challenges such as climate change. Despite these threats, only a small fraction of Malaysia’s marine area has been designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The management and enforcement of MPAs fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DoF), Sabah Parks and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, with minimal involvement from local communities. In 2014, Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) conducted a study on Tioman Island and found that a substantial number of local community members expressed interest in participating in marine management and conservation efforts. However, they often lacked the necessary qualifications or resources to do so. In response to this demand, RCM established its first local community-based conservation group on Tioman Island. In 2019, the group was officially recognized by the DoF as a strategic partner under its Reef Care Smart Partnership program. Recognizing the effectiveness of this approach, RCM expanded the model to other local communities in early 2020. Currently, RCM supports seven Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCG) around Malaysia.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The most viable approach to involve local islanders in marine resource management is
  subcontracting specific conservation tasks to them, which fits with their preference for
  flexible work.
• The Community Marine Conservation Group initiative provided structured training
  programs to equip locals with the skills needed to be employed as daily paid assistants
  to undertake conservation tasks.
• A local community-based approach strengthens stakeholder relationships; many
  participants now serve as key informants for reef managers.