LABUAN, May 21 (Bernama) — A total of five artificial reefs have been placed in the Labuan Marine Park, aimed at conserving marine treasures and providing long term benefits to fishermen.

Labuan Corporation acting chief executive officer Rithuan Ismail said the artificial reefs, under the federal government’s allocation through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, would serve as a breeding ground for various fish species and other marine life.

“Many marine activists and fishermen ask for the justification of placing the artificial reefs in these preserved and protected waters where fishing is prohibited, and the answer is that the reef acts as a home to marine life that will then go out to the wide-open sea to be the ‘rezeki’ (sustenance) of future catches.

“The specification of these five cuboid artificial reefs are made from concrete material and will last on the seafloor for decades.

“It also serves as a buffer zone against trawlers, to prevent encroachment in this area,” he said to reporters after placing the artificial reef in the waters of Pulau Kuraman today.

Labuan Fisheries Department director Faizal Ibrahim Suhaili said each artificial reef costs RM20,000.

He said that it is expected that the results of the artificial reef would take a few months for marine life and marine species to grow.

“Since the 11th Malaysia Plan, we have placed five conservation reefs in the Labuan Marine Park waters, and another 10 units of various types of artificial reefs outside of the park.

“These reefs have yielded results and various successes that can be documented, including the grade A fish species that visit and use it as a shelter,” he said.

Faizal said that anchoring artificial reefs is an annual programme of his department.

“These reefs provide a home for an abundance of marine life and plant species, many endemic to the reef ecosystems.

“The reefs also act as nurseries for many fish species, providing shelter and food,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency