The Department of Fisheries (DOF) Sabah signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with PRIMEX on 24 February 2015 to implement new arrangements that will facilitate the conduct of five national and three regional subprojects under the Regional Technical Assistance for the Coastal and Marine Resources Management in the Coral Triangle – Southeast Asia (RETA 7813).
DOF Sabah Director Datuk Rayner Stuel Galid signed the agreement with PRIMEX President and CEO Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza at the Palace Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia. The signing was witnessed by Datuk Ujang Sulani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, Sabah, and Deputy Chair of Malaysia’s CTI Coordination Committee.
DOF Sabah Director Datuk Rayner Stuel Galid exchanges the agreement with PRIMEX President and CEO Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza Datuk Ujang Sulani, Deputy Chair of Malaysia’s CTI Coordination Committee, witnessed the signing
Under the MOA, the Deputy Team Leader position in the Malaysia Project Management Unit (PMU) will be replaced by a Project Management Coordinator from the CTI State Coordinating Committee (SCC) through DOF Sabah. Dr. Norasma Dacho has been designated as the Project Management Coordinator.
In her welcome remarks, Ms. Ablaza thanked DOF Sabah for the positive response to PRIMEX’s proposed change in implementation arrangements and expressed optimism that the direct involvement of the Malaysian Government will facilitate the implementation of project activities and help ensure the sustainability of the interventions started under RETA 7813.
In his response, Datuk Ujang thanked the participants for coming together for the MOA signing one week after the Chinese New Year. He said, “Your presence here indicates your commitment to work together towards achieving the outputs of each sub-project and the outcome of an ‘improved management of coastal and marine resources established in the SSME priority Seascapes within the Coral Triangle.’” He also stressed the importance of coordination among stakeholders as it will lead to efficiency and synergy in implementation.
PRIMEX Executive Vice President Guillermo L. Morales, who is on full detail to RETA 7813 as Team Leader, and newly appointed Vice President for Technical Services, Leo R. Pura, also witnessed the event together with a few other international consultants and Malaysia PMU consultants.
The regional technical assistance project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is expected to result in the increased resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems and human communities in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines through the improved management of coastal and marine resources in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME) priority seascape located within the Coral Triangle.
The five national subprojects for implementation in Malaysia are:
- Capacity building on marine protected area (MPA) management;
- Capacity building on the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM);
- Application of Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in Marudu Bay;
- Profiling of the marine ecosystem in the SSME; and
- Developing alternative livelihoods.