Exploration area near protected Sulu-Sulawesi waters could damage ocean ecosystems, threaten marine life and climate goals: NGOs
PETALING JAYA: Environmental groups are warning that Malaysia’s latest offshore oil and gas exploration plan off Sabah could endanger some of Southeast Asia’s most fragile marine ecosystems and put regional climate commitments at risk.
In a statement issued in conjunction with Earth Day yesterday, RimbaWatch and the Centre for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) raised concerns over Block SB304, a proposed oil and gas exploration area under Malaysia’s 2026 Malaysia Bid Round, located off Sandakan.
They said the block overlaps or sits directly adjacent to internationally protected marine areas in the SuluSulawesi region.
They include the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area and Turtle Island Park in Malaysia, as well as the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in the Philippines.
The areas form part of the wider Sulu-Sulawesi Marine ecoregion, one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hotspots and a critical habitat for endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles, coral reefs, sharks and seagrass ecosystems.
The groups warned that seismic surveys, drilling and production activities could trigger a cascade of environmental risks, from underwater noise that disrupts marine life to potential oil spills and long-term damage to seabed ecosystems.
They said the threat is particularly severe for the turtle islands region, one of the most important nesting grounds for green sea turtles in Southeast Asia, where even a small spill could devastate hatchling survival rates and undermine decades of conservation work.
“These are not ordinary waters. They are among the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world and sustain coastal communities across borders.
“Allowing fossil fuel extraction in these areas puts both nature and livelihoods at unacceptable risk,” the groups said.
They also raised concerns over cross-border impacts, noting that Malaysia and the Philippines jointly manage the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, the world’s first transboundary marine turtle conservation site.
Any environmental harm, they warned, could quickly spread beyond national boundaries. “Oil spills do not respect borders.
A single incident could have devastating consequences for both Malaysian and Philippine waters,” the groups emphasised.
On climate policy, the groups argued that expanding oil and gas exploration runs counter to global scientific consensus that no new fossil fuel developments are compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
They also warned it could undermine Malaysia’s net-zero target by 2050.
The statement added that governments have legal obligations to prevent foreseeable transboundary environmental harm, cautioning that approving high-risk projects in shared waters could raise international legal concerns.
The groups are urging the Malaysian government to halt the awarding of Block SB304 and align energy planning with climate goals, while calling on Petronas to exclude marine protected areas from future exploration activities.
They also called for stronger Malaysia-Philippines cooperation to establish buffer or exclusion zones for extractive industries and for Asean to reinforce regional commitments to biodiversity protection and climate action.
“This is a critical moment for Southeast Asia. The region must choose between expanding fossil fuels or protecting the ecosystems that sustain its people “Protecting the Coral Triangle (one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity regions spanning parts of Southeast Asia and the western Pacific) is not optional.
It is essential for our shared future,” the groups said.
