A Comparative Analysis of Coral Reef Protection Frameworks in Malaysia and Australia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/bioenv.v4i3.155Keywords:
Comparative law, Environmental policy, Marine conservation, Malaysia and AustraliaAbstract
Coral reefs provide critical ecological and socio-economic benefits but are increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, coastal development and unsustainable marine activities. This study comparatively examines the legal and policy frameworks governing coral reef protection in Malaysia and Australia and evaluates how differences in legal design and governance influence their implementation. Using doctrinal legal research and a structured comparative approach, the study analyses primary legal and policy instruments and relevant secondary literature across seven dimensions: legislative framework, institutional coordination, enforcement mechanisms, marine spatial planning and protected-area management, stakeholder participation, adaptive governance and climate responsiveness, and implementation of international obligations. The findings demonstrate that both jurisdictions possess substantial legal and policy mechanisms for marine conservation, but differ significantly in the degree to which these mechanisms are integrated and implemented. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef framework demonstrates comparatively stronger institutional coordination, zoning and spatial planning, scientific monitoring, stakeholder participation and adaptive management. Malaysia has important legislative foundations, particularly through the Fisheries Act 1985 and Environmental Quality Act 1974, but implementation is constrained by dispersed institutional responsibilities, federal–state coordination challenges and enforcement limitations. Nevertheless, Australia continues to face significant pressures from climate change and land-based pollution, demonstrating the limitations of even advanced governance arrangements. The study concludes that Malaysia could strengthen coral reef governance by improving federal–state institutional coordination, progressively integrating marine spatial planning into marine park management, enhancing enforcement and monitoring capacity, and developing more systematic science-based adaptive management.
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