Brunei has achieved a new national record for planting 210 corals in local waters, Poni Divers revealed at the Ocean Week Brunei 2024 conference recently. The event was officiated by the Brunei Book of Records as the most corals planted at a single time, and done under the Big Blue Hope initiative. Producing tangle results towards improving the sultanate’s actionable practices and policies on ocean sustainability and care is a key takeaway from the event, according to PONI. One success for marine conservation efforts was the launch of the LAUT Brunei (Looking After Underwater Treasures of Brunei) Ambassador Programme. This new initiative is aimed at recruiting and training local ambassadors to advocate for ocean sustainability within their communities. There was also the launch of the world’s first LAUT Midi reef ball — a reef ball especially designed for Brunei waters — officiated by Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Abdul Manaf Metussin. Many attendees expressed their approval at the relevance of this year’s topics and speakers, with a general consensus that they sincerely hoped the Ocean Week event would continue to spread awareness and change.
“We have delved into critical topics … we have shared successes, faced hard truths, and most importantly, we have envisioned a future where our oceans are healthy, thriving and resilient,” observed Anna Aziz, Business Development Officer of PONI Group, in her closing speech. Ocean Week Brunei 2024 is an initiative by Poni Divers and Poni Foundation in partnership with the Department of Fisheries at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism as part of the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition (MYCE) 2024. Community engagement is a kay factor in the success of such conferences and with a stellar turnout of participants across all activities and events planned, it’s clear that feeling is mutual.
