Making a Difference
Why are we different?
Malaysia
The Solution
Medium Term to Long Term Aims
What are the benefits of a Marine Park?
Do\'s and Dont\'s in Marine Park
Current Partners
What help is required?

Making a Difference..

Quest Underseas provides locally relevant marine research and conservation projects, which involve and support local communities.

Involving the local community is frequently not part of management plans, tourism initiatives or government development strategies: we believe firmly that for conservation measures to work, the local community must be involved and benefit directly or indirectly from the conservation of their marine resources.

Quest Underseas provide baseline data through self-funded volunteers. By working with local institutions, local government and community members / fishing cooperatives, much more can be achieved and a more equitable outcome, benefiting all resource users, is possible. Through capacity building, an investment in a trust fund, providing training to local counterparts and aiming to disseminate information frequently, we can conserve some of the world’s most incredible natural wonders for local people and marine-life alike.

Why are we different?
· We are insistent that any marine conservation projects include the local community and local businesses.
· We provide time and funds for other community initiatives to be carried out when not undertaking marine research.

Long-term project contributions will sponsor local scholars, from the community and national institutions on each project. In this way we hope to build capacity and invest time, money and knowledge into a local counterpart. We believe this to be a truly sustainable approach to marine conservation.

QUEST volunteers will be involved in enhancing the educational environment of the local children through developing school infrastructure, funded by your contribution. Environmental education for tourists, community members and school children is a key component of plans for 2008 onwards.

Partnerships with grassroots organisations and local institutions, built to create short, medium and long term goals for each project, guarantee that every team makes a lasting difference.
The Problem

Malaysia is one of the areas in the world where tourism is growing fast. For this reason Tioman is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for divers, holidaymakers and travellers. This is good news for the area, but will increase pressure on it resources. With this in mind, the management plan needs to be implemented and enforced urgently to regulate the industry developing around the coral reef system. Combining this conservation effort with investment in local people, we aim to make Tioman a destination that divers from around the world will be able to enjoy for generations to come.

The Solution

To promote genuine, culturally sensitive and responsible eco-tourism on Tioman, and enforce a suitable management regime.

Within the first year our volunteers aim to have undertaken the first stage of the reef and nesting surveys. Environmental education days will be conducted for local people and the school groups in the area, and we will also make improvements to local school buildings as part of our outreach community development. These activities will continue on every project and be adapted to current needs.

Quest Underseas will also help fund local Malaysians to learn to dive, survey and become involved with the project, while also supporting local people and scientists to run grass-roots schemes that they support.

Medium Term to Long Term Aims
Every volunteer\'s project donation will include a £200 contribution to a local trust fund, which will build up over time for long term initiatives, such as the development and training of local people, educational schemes at local schools, baseline data and monitoring of coral reef health, effects of sedimentation and monitoring of turtle nesting sites.

On the MPA:

Tioman MPA is an area of the sea zoned as a sanctuary for the coral reef community which is considered as possibly the most productive ecosystem in the world, with its diversity of flora and fauna. Coral reefs are also important breeding and nursery grounds for many commercially important species of marine organisms and fish.

Among the objectives of the marine park are:

Preservation and protection of coral reef areas from the impact of
development.

Upgrade and preserve the natural habitat of endangered species of aquatic life.

Establishment of zones for preservation of the aquatic flora and fauna and also for the purpose of research and educational activities.

Establishment of zones for recreational uses consistent with the carrying capacity of the area.

What are the benefits of a Marine Park?

The ecosystem and habitat of marine life will be protected and maintained

Rejuvenation of over exploited zones and their maintenance for the
protection of endangered species of marine organisms.

Establishment of zones for research and educational purposes.

Establishment of zones for recreational uses and tourism.

Do's and Dont's in Marine Park

Provisions for the establishment and management of the marine parks in the Fisheries Act 1985 allows for the control of the following activities.

Permitted Activities:

- Underwater photography
- Swimming
- Observation and appreciation of the aquatic flora and fauna
- Scuba Diving
- Snorkelling

Prohibited Activities (except with permission):

- Water skiing, speed boat racing and jet skiing
- Destruction, removal or collection of the corals and other aquatic life
- Vandalizing and structure or object within the marine park
- Anchoring of boats over the coral areas.
- Carrying and using weapons that endanger aquatic life.
- Fishing in the park vicinity (within a 3.2km radius)
- Discharging of pollutants and rubbish

Current Partners:

Local dive operators and tourism operatives - ECODIVERS TIOMAN

National Institutions: TDA - Tioman Development Authority

Local stakeholders

Local Community Development

As with all our conservation projects, we understand that it is essential to involve the local community and work with them on any research. We will be running environmental education days as well as carrying out small community infrastructure projects in local schools and beach clean-up days, to generate positive feelings and an understanding of what the volunteers are doing.

What help is required?
PADI Dive Education i.e PADI certification and Project Aware courses.
Participants will be involvement in projects with local dive club (just set up for membership for the Tioman locals) e.g. DSD programmes, diving courses, awareness program for school children (talks, snorkelling, mangrove visits etc) and also frequent beach and underwater clean ups of garbage (and perhaps collection of Crown of Thorns) which is then of benefit to tourism and to boost the economy of the local people.

Volunteers will be involved in observational studies of the artificial reefs on Tioman i.e concrete reef balls, wrecks, the new regent\'s reef using PVC pipes, concrete aquascape for coral planting and one or two others.