Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) is the first privately managed marine protected area in Malaysia.
As part of the Coral Triangle, SIMCA is home to at least 500 species of fishes, 300 species of corals, 2 species of sea turtles, 26 species of seagrasses and algae, 6 species of giant clams, and countless of other marine invertebrates.
Active interventions by SIMCA has demonstrated successful conservation outcomes through the rehabilitation and revival of coral reefs, fish and threatened species in the area. In particular, average annual green turtle nesting in Lankayan increased about seven-folds between two periods, from an average of 51.8 nests (2000-2003) to 357.5 nests (2004-2019), and from 49.5 nests to 51.4 nests for Hawksbill turtles.
This global recognition is a milestone for Simca. It shows that all our efforts over the years have come to fruition
Conservation
Good governance
Community benefits
It has been a great partnership between the Sabah State Government and Reef Guardian Sdn Bhd in rehabilitating and preserving the area over the last 19 years.
We are very proud of the achievement and it was not an easy task indeed. We hope that our partnership will continue to maintain the accomplishment we had and more things to come
Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) is the first privately managed marine protected area in Malaysia. Located within the Sulu Sea region, it encompasses 46, 317 hectares, which includes three islands (Lankayan, Billean and Tegaipil) and characterised by shallow coastal reefs, seagrass beds and sandy bottom.
As part of the Coral Triangle, SIMCA is home to at least 500 species of fishes, 300 species of corals, 2 species of sea turtles, 26 species of seagrasses and algae, 6 species of giant clams, and countless of other marine invertebrates.
Reef Guardian Sdn. Bhd. is a non-profit company that has been appointed by Sabah state government since 2004 to fully manage SIMCA, in close collaboration with Sabah Wildlife Department. The main objective of this organisation is to manage and enforce SIMCA as a no-take zone, and to ensure the balance between the conservation of the coral habitat and marine life, and the need to utilise resources for the eco-tourism industry
Substantial evidence supports the reduction of blast fishing in SIMCA due to 16-18 years of adaptive management interventions implemented by the site through collaborative surveillance with local enforcement agencies and international organisations (Reef Defenders).
The nearest communities are located approximately 35km from SIMCA’s main island, Lankayan. The local communities do not depend directly on SIMCA for subsistence yet they are actively involved in supporting SIMCA by reporting illegal fishing activities. The Reef Guardian’s patrols and enforcement efforts provides safety/security from infringing commercial and foreign fishers, which subsequently allow an increase in fish population and total biomass of the site that is likely beyond baseline levels. These efforts have indirectly supported sustainable livelihoods to the local communities nearby SIMCA.
The EAGL reaches a consensus and recommends the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) for Green Listing. The site visit and detailed review of SIMCA materials verified that all the adapted indicators were fully met or satisfactorily achieved.
Active interventions by SIMCA has demonstrated successful conservation outcomes through the rehabilitation and revival of coral reefs, fish and threatened species in the area. In particular, average annual green turtle nesting in Lankayan increased about seven-folds between two periods, from an average of 51.8 nests (2000-2003) to 357.5 nests (2004-2019), and from 49.5 nests to 51.4 nests for Hawksbill turtles.
Substantial evidence supports the reduction of blast fishing in SIMCA due to 16-18 years of adaptive management interventions implemented by the site through collaborative surveillance with local enforcement agencies and international organisations (Reef Defenders).
The nearest communities are located approximately 35km from SIMCA’s main island, Lankayan. The local communities do not depend directly on SIMCA for subsistence yet they are actively involved in supporting SIMCA by reporting illegal fishing activities. The Reef Guardian’s patrols and enforcement efforts provides safety/security from infringing commercial and foreign fishers, which subsequently allow an increase in fish population and total biomass of the site that is likely beyond baseline levels. These efforts have indirectly supported sustainable livelihoods to the local communities nearby SIMCA.
SIMCA has effectively used sustainable tourism practices and Communication, Education, Public Awareness (CEPA) programmes to provide awareness and understanding to local communities and eco-tourists visiting the site. The sense of noble deed for the protection of SIMCA has made tourists interested in spending time and participating in SIMCA’s conservation programmes. Moreover, CEPA programmes reduced conflicts and instilled a sense of belonging and meaningfulness amongst local community members to protect and conserve SIMCA. SIMCA’s school awareness outreach impacted and facilitated school children in the nearby towns to create materials about marine conservation to share with other schools.
SIMCA thrives and innovates by maintaining open and cooperative management and governance through its partnerships with government agencies, academics, NGOs and local communities. It pioneered the use of technology in conservation efforts through its radar system for surveillance. SIMCA demonstrated its willingness to share resources and findings (e.g. facilities, radar monitoring, reef survey and coral bleaching data) with relevant agencies and partners at the local, state, national and international levels to advance enforcement and marine conservation efforts. With the adoption of the science-informed decision in the SIMCA’s two 5-year Plans of Actions and supplemented by Annual Reports for monitoring, research, and management planning, the threshold and measure of success of the site’s values can be evaluated.
It continuously builds staff capacity through in-house and external training (e.g. Reef Check eco-diving training, Sabah Wildlife Department Honorary Wildlife Training etc.), resulting in SIMCA personnel achieving state and international awards. SIMCA staff have been fully committed and show a high degree of professionalism throughout the Green List process. Overall, SIMCA has demonstrated a high-level standard in its interventions towards effective management.
The EAGL provides the following recommendations above SIMCA’s performance given emerging trends and external influences:
1) The site mentioned plans to update and revise the Management Plan through multi-stakeholder involvement. They may consider the spatial mapping of nearby local communities, community mapping of important ecosystems and further enhancement of social and economic programmes (e.g. jobs, livelihood activities, buy-in sustainable fisheries programme etc.), for regular monitoring.
2) The site may incorporate existing materials related to sea-level rise, such as hydro-climate projection data from the National Hydraulic Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), to enhance the site’s assessment of climate change impacts.
3) The site may consider diversifying funding strategies in building back from the pandemic through enhanced online fundraising strategies, partnerships with the private sector, NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other appropriate sustainable finance mechanisms.
