 PRESS RELEASE KUANTAN: Pahang’s crown prince, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, will lead about 300 divers to build artificial reefs near Soyak island, one of the eight islands surrounding Tioman. They will lay eight clusters of PVC pipes in various locations that will become a new habitat to a variety of corals, fish and other marine life. The event on April 14 is part of a conservation effort under the Pahang Regent Reef project that was launched four years ago, when Tioman was accorded duty-free status. The Tengku Mahkota started the project with the first dive at Pulau Rengis, near the Berjaya Tioman resort, in September 2003. Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, state Culture, Arts and Tourism committee chairman Datuk Maznah Mazlan said 50 reef balls had been laid on the seabed for corals to grow. It was the first time, she added, that such a project was being carried out with the purpose of protecting marine life. Maznah said there were also World War II submarine wreckages in the South China Sea, which could be a breeding and conservation ground for marine life. However, the location was rather far from the island and might not be suitable for divers, she added. The artificial reef project is a collaboration between the Tioman Development Authority, the Pahang government, and various public and private sectors. DHL Express, KUB (M) Bhd and PJ Hilton are among those from the private sector. Tioman
became a duty-free island on Sept 1, 2002, the third island after
Labuan and Langkawi. Besides Soyak and Rengis, the islands surrounding
the main Tioman island are Tumok, Tulai, Chebeh, Labas, Sepoi and
Jahat. SOURCE FROM:
The
Star Online |