Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) is now capable of collecting up to 25 tonnes of rubbish daily from waters around Kota Kinabalu through the use of a rubbish collection boat or “skimmer boat”, significantly improving the efficiency of marine cleaning operations.
Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah said the use of a skimmer boat had increased the amount of waste collected compared to previous manual methods, which relied only on a small boat and nets.
“With the use of a skimmer boat, DBKK can collect five tonnes of waste in a single trip. In a day, the boat can make five return trips, bringing the total collection to 25 tonnes per day.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“This certainly boosts our collection rate in the waters, as previously we relied solely on a small boat and nets, which were quite traditional,” he told reporters after launching the Mobula Skimmer Boat in the waters off Pulau Gaya on Wednesday.
Dr Sabin emphasised the importance of collaboration with various parties in addressing marine pollution, as the Government cannot tackle the issue alone.
“If waste is not managed properly, tourists may stop coming. That’s something we do not want to happen in Kota Kinabalu.
“As such, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between DBKK and the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) to introduce the use of a skimmer boat,” he added.
Dr Sabin said with the addition of a new boat named Mobula, after the Mobula ray, he hopes to acquire two more skimmer boats before the end of the year.
“In addition to using these skimmer boats, DBKK has also launched a large-scale sea cleaning project this year.
“We now have one skimmer boat and we hope to obtain two more of the same type for that purpose,” he said.
Meanwhile, MRF Founder and Executive Director Dr Nicolas J Pilcher said data collected from the skimmer boat’s operations would be used to identify the types and volume of plastic waste floating in the sea.
“This data is crucial for designing more targeted intervention programmes. When we know the type and quantity of plastic, we can implement more effective policies or campaigns.
“We’ve already seen early success through initiatives to reduce plastic bag use around Kota Kinabalu, which have had a positive impact on reducing marine waste,” he said.
