Article: RM3.54m for CTI fund

Saturday May 16, 2009

By SA'ODAH ELIAS

MANADO: Malaysia will contribute US$1mil (RM3.54mil) to the Coral Triangle Initiative which aims to save the marine life in the region's seas, dubbed the "Amazon of the oceans."

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that although Malaysia was only a small part of the Coral Triangle, it supported regional programmes to protect, preserve and sustainably exploit its marine resources.

"We also support Indonesia's offer to host the CTI secretariat," he told Malaysian reporters covering the CTI Summit in the North Sulawesi capital yesterday.

The CTI summit which was launched here yesterday saw leaders of the six CTI countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste — gathering to commit themselves to protecting the area's marine biodiversity.

Manado summit: Najib speaking on sustainably exploiting the marine resources in the region at the CTI summit at the Dewan Grand Kawanua in Manado yesterday. Also present is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili (left). — Bernama

The 5.7 million sq km Coral Triangle comprises seas and oceans stretching from Indonesia and Malaysia in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east. It is known as the Amazon of the oceans as it is home to 76% of the world's coral species and 50% of the world's reef fish species.

Malaysia's portion of the Coral Triangle is only about 38,000 sq km.

Najib said other member countries had pledged between US$1mil and US$5mil (RM17.7mil) for the initiative.

Besides monetary commitment from affected countries, CTI is expected to receive a total of US$25.5mil (RM90.27mil) for its activities from the Asian Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility.

Najib said Malaysia would be mapping the country's seas as part of Malaysia's commitment under the CTI,

He said in his keynote address at the summit that under a pilot project, the naval vessel KD Perantau would carry researchers on a 52-day oceanographic study trip.

He said the project, called Prime Scientific Sailing Expedition 2009, was also aimed at collecting intensified data about the country's marine resources.

"The studies include mapping of the marine flora and fauna such coral reef, marine mammals, fish and invertebrates that inhabit Malaysian seas in the South China Sea, Sulu and Sulawesi seas," he said.

Najib also called for the CTI to be implemented based on national priorities and in line with national policies to ensure that participating countries could contribute and benefit fully from such initiatives.

He said Malaysia hoped to benefit from the programme through the creation of alternative economic activities such as seaweed and pearl cultivation and eco-tourism.

At the end of the summit, Najib and the leaders signed the Coral Triangle Initiative Leaders' Declaration.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 16 May 2009