The ocean covers 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface. It is crucial to our existence and provides the water we drink and the air we breathe. However, this vital lifeline is under severe threat. Unsustainable fishing practices, industrial activities, and climate change are causing fisheries stocks worldwide to plummet. The health of our seas is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Our way of life hinges on reversing these devastating trends.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a significant problem in the waters surrounding Borneo and the Sultanate, threatening marine biodiversity and the sustainability of local fisheries. These illicit activities undermine efforts to manage fish stocks responsibly, leading to overfishing and the depletion of key species.
In Borneo, IUU fishing is exacerbated by insufficient enforcement and monitoring capabilities, allowing unscrupulous operators to exploit the region’s rich marine resources. In Brunei, despite stringent regulations, the challenge persists due to the vast maritime area and the high demand for seafood.
This illegal activity not only endangers the livelihoods of legitimate fishers but also disrupts the ecological balance, impacting coral reefs and other vital marine habitats.
Addressing IUU fishing in this region requires enhanced international cooperation, better surveillance, and stricter enforcement of existing laws to protect these precious marine environments and ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry.
The Ocean Week Brunei 2024, an event organised by Poni Divers and Poni Foundation in partnership with the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT), will highlight local and international marine conservation challenges today and the solutions of tomorrow. This event will bring together experts, policymakers, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions and local communities to devise actionable solutions aimed at preserving Brunei’s rich marine biodiversity.
Key discussions from the Ocean Sustainability Conference will focus on safeguards against IUU fishing, climate change modelling, and sustainable solutions for decommissioned oil rigs. The event will also explore strategies for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable fishing practices to mitigate the impacts on our marine ecosystems.
The upcoming Marine Maintenance Yard at Pulau Muara Besar (PMB) offers a unique opportunity to repurpose Brunei’s offshore structures as artificial reefs, fostering marine life and enhancing local biodiversity. By integrating eco-friendly decommissioning practices, Brunei can transform decommissioned oil rigs into vibrant underwater habitats, supporting fisheries and promoting a healthier marine ecosystem.
Additionally, the introduction and launch of large 1.5-tonne MIDI reef balls during World Oceans Day that can be used to build new fishing grounds, restore fish populations, provide new habitats for marine life, and act as an anti-trawling mechanism will provide Brunei’s marine conservation efforts with yet another tool towards a sustainable ocean.
Reef balls are artificial reef modules designed to last over 500 years under the sea, fabricated with no metal rebars inside and with a rough pH-neutral coral-friendly surface to mimic natural reefs. By fostering a collaborative approach with experts, institutions, and NGOs around the world, Ocean Week Brunei aims to implement comprehensive measures that safeguard the nation’s oceanic resources and ensure the long-term sustainability of its fishing industry.
Poni Marine is working together with the esteemed Reef Ball Foundation in Florida, United States to introduce the Brunei Reef Ball Programme, launched last year in July, with support from the Fisheries Department at the MPRT. The Reef Ball Foundation has deployed over two million reef balls in over 80 countries over the last 30 years.
Founder and chairman Todd Barber is the keynote speaker during the Ocean Sustainability Conference, which will be held at the Laksamana College of Business on June 6. Other speakers include James Bali, leading marine biologist from Sarawak Forestry Corporation on the Sarawak Reef Ball Project, which has deployed over 23,000 reef balls since the 1990s just next door with success in increasing turtle and fish populations, and Amber Sparks, co-founder of Blue Latitudes, a leading oceanographer, marine environmental scientist and oil and gas consultant on rigs to reefs projects and leave-in-place decommissioning solutions for major oil and gas companies worldwide.
Over the last month, a number of local schools have had first-hand experience learning about Brunei’s corals, reef balls, and the importance of saving Brunei’s reefs. Students from Sayyidina Ali Secondary School, St Andrew’s School, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah School, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Belait Sixth Form Centre and Jerudong International School have participated in reef ball fabrication activities. Ocean Week Brunei will host a series of events ranging from coral planting and reef building workshops to youth advocacy programmes to conferences on ocean sustainability with marine conservation experts, Brunei’s largest coral planting day, and beach cleanups across the week from May 31 to June 9. The international marine conservation week will amplify the voices of local scientists, activists, and local youth leaders advocating for ocean conservation and climate resilience. The event also aims to inspire over 245 youth and over 500 adults directly to protect our oceans through a week of marine conservation events. It also aims to reach out to over 1,000 individuals through digital media and live streaming.
World Ocean Week is a global initiative dedicated to catalysing action for our oceans and climate. It is during this time that countries announce and introduce new laws and regulations aimed at protecting the marine environment, and it was during World Ocean Day in June 2013 that Brunei announced and became the first ASEAN country to ban the sale of shark fin products. This year’s World Oceans Day is themed, ‘Catalysing Action for Our Ocean and Climate’, underscores the urgent need to address the critical intersection of ocean health and climate change.
Poni Divers and Poni Foundation have deployed over 60 reef balls and planted over 500 corals since July 2023, and they will be deploying their 100th reef ball as part of the launch of Ocean Week Brunei 2024. They have also taught over 50 students, from three schools and corporate sponsors’ staff, how to fabricate reef balls and plant corals after deploying them to sea. Poni’s marine conservation team has also presented to over 100 schoolchildren across school talks, all as part of the SCTSB Reef Ball School programme, their first corporate sponsor for the Brunei Reef Ball ram. Since launching in 2009, Poni Divers has hosted marine conservation programmes for over 5,000 local youth.
The Brunei Reef Ball programme is a programme under Looking After Underwater Treasures of Brunei (LAUT Brunei), the marine conservation initiative under Poni Foundation, with its mission to look after Brunei’s marine life, reefs, and shipwrecks for future generations through citizen science, technology, and collaborative projects.
Its objectives are to bring together a multi-pronged response with both fast responses and long-term solutions with grassroots support from the public and scientific data for dialogue with stakeholders to respond to the complex challenges of marine conservation. This initiative aligns with Brunei’s climate response goals and supports sustainable development targets outlined in the 2030 Global Agenda.
