Marine Mammals in Brunei Bay Threatened by Human Activities

By Amrizan Madian LAWAS (Sarawak,Malaysia), Nov 18 (Bernama) -- The 250,000-hectare Brunei Bay is among the most important habitats for marine mammals in the Southeast Asian region. The Brunei River, Kilas River, Padas Damit River and Lawas River flows through the Brunei Bay before ending up into the South China Sea. The area borders along the mangroves and tropical rainforests of Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. The Brunei Bay used to be a rich source of food for a variety of marine life, particularly marine mammals. It is also home to many endangered species such as the Dugong, turtle and dolphins. However, of late, unrestrained human activities have threatened the ecosystem and destroyed many of the food sources. The Institute of Oceanography Sciences (INOS), a research institute under Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), is conducting a detailed study into the effects of such activities on the marine life in the South China Sea, including the Brunei Bay. UMT STUDY IN BRUNEI BAY Associate Prof Dr Saifullah Arifin Jaaman of INOS said the institute has been collecting samples and conducting research in the waters near Lawas since early this year. He said previous studies showed that the Brunei Bay was believed to be one of the main sources of food for many marine species. “Out of the 31 species of marine mammals in Southeast Asia, 27 of them can be found in Malaysia and you can find many of them in Brunei Bay,” the scientist told Bernama during a visit to the area recently. The Brunei Bay provides a rich source of food for marine mammals, especially with the presence of the sea grasses like the Halophila and Halodule that is the favourite diet of the Dugong species. A UMT study showed that the number of marine mammals in the Brunei Bay is in direct correlation with the amount of food that sustain marine species found in the area. FOOD SOURCES DESTROYED However, many activities such as shipping, fishing and dredging at the Brunei Bay have disturbed habitats that support marine life. The dredging for an oil refinery nearby is said to have destroyed sea grass beds, threatening the existence of the Dugong. “The fishermen in Lawas said that they have noticed a marked decline in the number of Dugong they came across some 20 years ago. It is believed that this is linked to the diminishing sea grass beds which once could be found in abundance in Brunei Bay,” he said. The research in Brunei Bay will serve as the baseline study to measure the effects of pollution due to human activity onto the flora and fauna. Saifullah Ariffin, who formerly headed the Marine Mammal Research Unit in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said the number of Dugong in Malaysian waters is currently less than 300. Besides the Dugong, the number of turtles that make their way to Brunei Bay in search of food has also lessened. MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT It is clear that enforcement of the laws that govern the preservation of marine life in the Brunei Bay is the key in protecting the ecosystem there, but this is easier said than done. Prof Madya Dr Wan Izatul Asma Wan Talaat from INOS said what made enforcement difficult was that Brunei Bay borders along several different jurisdictions. The environmental law expert said that to date, only the Sarawak Forestry Corporation has been regulating the commercial fishing activities along the Sarawak waters in Brunei Bay. “When a coastal area is shared by several regions with different legal systems like in the Brunei Bay, enforcement and habitat rehabilitation becomes difficult,” she told Bernama. Therefore, the institute needed a detailed study and data on the marine life and habitat at the Brunei Bay to strengthen the legal foundation in protecting threatened marine life. The research is funded by a RM9 million (US$2.82 million) grant from the Education Ministry. ENDANGERED SPECIES A local fisherman from Bukit (Hill) Sari Lawas, Junaidi Ahmad, who is helping UMT with the marine mammal study in Brunei Bay said that the Dugong, once on the fishermen’s hunting list is now facing extinction. “People use to catch Dugong for its meat, which tastes like beef. However, they are harder to find now,” he said. He said marine food sources such as sea grass were the main attraction of marine mammals to the Brunei Bay. “But a worrying trend that I see now is human activities like logging near coastal areas have disrupted the habitats of marine mammals,” he said. -- BERNAMA