For centuries, the Bajau Laut, an indigenous seafaring community in Southeast Asia, have lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, relying on the ocean for sustenance and income. But with environmental pressures mounting, their traditional way of life is rapidly disappearing, leaving them to adapt to new realities on land.
Bilkuin Jimi Salih, a 20-year-old member of the Bajau Laut, reflects on his upbringing. Born on a houseboat known as a lepa off the coast of Semporna in Malaysian Borneo, Mr Salih learned to dive at a young age, a skill passed down through generations. “One of our specialties is that, because we live on the sea and we’re always in the sea, we can dive in the water for a long time,” he explained to CNN. “We learn by observing, and from there, we develop our own technique.”
The Bajau Laut community is biologically adapted to life at sea, with larger spleens that help them hold their breath for extended periods, allowing them to dive for sea cucumbers, abalone, and spider conches. However, overfishing and environmental degradation are making it increasingly difficult to survive through traditional fishing practices. “We could easily get a bucket of abalone and sea cucumbers before, but now there’s hardly any,” said Mr Salih. “Other high-value fish are also available less. So for us to rely on the sea as a source of living is now very difficult, very challenging.”
As the marine environment deteriorates due to climate change and overfishing, many Bajau Laut families, like Mr Salih’s, are abandoning their houseboats in favour of stilt houses. The cost and complexity of maintaining lepas have made them unaffordable for many, and the shift to more sedentary living has reduced the community’s ability to adapt. “We are less adaptable now, relying more on a specific island or reef,” Mr Salih added.
The region, once a haven for marine life, has become increasingly vulnerable. Rising sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, and coral bleaching are damaging fish habitats, worsening the challenges faced by coastal communities. “Coastal communities living by the sea are highly vulnerable to climate change phenomena,” said Adzmin Fatta, programme manager at Reef Check Malaysia. “The worsening marine environment and scarcity of fish has made many low-income fishers desperate.”
Illegal fishing practices, such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing, are common in the region as fish stocks dwindle. These methods not only harm the fish population but also cause significant damage to coral reefs. “Fish bombing is cheap and easy,” said Mr Fatta. “A fish bomb costs around 15 Malaysian ringgit (Rs 665) but could provide 2,000-to-3,000-ringgit worth of fish (Rs 88,700 to Rs 1,33,050).”
Plastic pollution is another growing problem, with discarded water bottles, crisp packets, and flip-flops frequently spotted in the water. Robin Philippo, director of the Tropical Research and Conservation Centre (TRACC), believes tourism is largely to blame for the increasing waste. “The carrying capacity of Semporna compared to the waste that is being produced, I think that’s the unsustainable factor,” he explained.
Despite these challenges, the Bajau Laut community remains largely stateless, with many living in legal limbo without access to basic services like healthcare, education, and utilities. An estimated 28,000 Bajau Laut live in Sabah, and 78 percent of them are undocumented. This lack of formal citizenship excludes them from many conservation efforts, as their traditional knowledge is often undervalued.
Adzmin Fatta believes that one of the barriers to effective conservation is the “unequal opportunities” faced by the Bajau Laut. “Without formal citizenship, they often don’t see themselves as having a role in conservation efforts,” he said.