We know that some of the corals along our coastline are in critical condition, so this group of divers is doing the best they can to help clean up the coral reefs of Pulau Bidong as a way to show their love for the country.
Source: youtube
The Star reported that the Bidong Merdeka Dive 2019 was organised by the Terengganu Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture office and UMT.
The four day programme started on 22nd August with the theme Dive For Debris in line with this year’s National Day Celebration’s theme: “Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih” which roughly translates to ‘Love My Malaysia, A Clean Malaysia’.
Source: mofa
One of the divers, who turned out to be the Terengganu Motac director, said that the aim of this program is to raise awareness and draw support from the public and also relevant organisations to play a role in conserving the coral reef ecosystem.
He also said that they are aware that a lot of trash gets thrown into the ocean every day and threatens marine life, so people must do their part in keeping the coral reefs clean.
Source: youtube
Other than that, he also mentioned that the islands in Terengganu are important as they serve as a tourist attraction. If the coral reefs are not protected, then they will slowly deteriorate and there won’t be anything to attract tourists.
At the end of the 4-day dive, they found plastic materials, old tin cans, and some fishing traps as well.
Source: youtube
This is the 11th year the programme has been held, and hopefully it’ll keep going for a long time more. Watch the video here!
What a great effort! Thank you to the divers for putting in such an effort to keep the seabed clean and the coral reefs healthy! This is truly the spirit of Keranamu Malaysia!
Also read: The Coral Reefs in Pulau Redang & Pulau Perhentian Need Help NOW After Survey Showed Them Dying
