Bruneians involve in reef ball fabrication to increase fishermen catch

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's marine habitat restoration gets a boost whereby 100 reef balls are donated to local fishermen in 2025 compared to 50 reef balls in 2024, an experienced Brunei diver said on Thursday.

Reef balls at fishing grounds off the Brunei coast help to increase fish catch in the country, Tahsin Wong Abdullah, co-founder of Poni Foundation, said at the Reef Ball Fabrication program held at Serasa Jetty, near Muara port town on Thursday.

He also emphasized the long-term impact reef balls can have, lasting over 500 years underwater and providing sustainable fishing grounds for future generations to come.

He said youths are involved in the program to learn new skills as they are the future of the ocean. The project is held to mark Brunei Ocean Week 2025.

Jhinook Mitra, a biology student taking a doctorate degree at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, said she is joining the project to fabricate reef balls to create more awareness of marine conservation for a sustainable future.■