KUALA NERUS: A total of 1,270 baby clownfish (ikan inggu) were released into the waters of Pulau Bidong near here in conjunction with the Terengganu Dive Month 2022 (TDM 2022).
Terengganu Tourism Department director Fadli Yusof Zakaria said the release of the fry also made history when it was recorded in The Malaysia Book Of Records.
He said TDM 2022 is a programme jointly organised with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), aimed at promoting the uniqueness of the islands in this state.
He said it was an annual programme in the state's tourism calendar and it was much awaited by scuba diving enthusiasts around the country.
"Apart from Pulau Bidong, TDM 2022 which is themed 'Dive For Freedom' will also take place in Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Tenggol and Pulau Redang.
"One thousand scuba divers from around the country are expected to converge for TDM 2022," he said after the launch of TDM 2022 in Pulau Bidong today.
Also present were UMT vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mazlan Ghaffar and Malaysia Book of Records Sdn Bhd office manager Lee Pooi Ling.
Mazlan said all the clownfish released into the waters were hatched and bred at UMT's Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (Akuatrop).
"The preservation and conservation activity of these fish started in 2017 by a group of researchers from Akuatraop. The release process had to be postponed due to Covid-19 (pandemic)," he added. – BERNAMA