About us
A brainchild of Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam and Fairul Izmal Jamal Hisne, MareCet is the first and only non-profit NGO in Malaysia that is dedicated to the research and conservation of marine mammals in Malaysia. Established in 2012 and run by a small yet competent and passionate team of researcher-conservationists, our core focuses are increasing scientific knowledge through research, conservation-based outreach and education, strengthening policies, and developing capacity for this field of work. MareCet strives to work to protect marine mammals and their fragile habitats, provide a platform for building local conservation leadership talent, work with stakeholders to optimise conservation outcomes for all involved, and promote ocean stewardship within society at large in Malaysia. The name MareCet (pronounced ma-rei-set) is derived from the combination of the words Mare and Cetacean. The word 'Mare' in Latin means ocean, while 'Cetacean' is the scientific grouping of whales, dolphins and porpoises. By combining the two words into MareCet, the name signifies the two main focus of the organization: (1) The ocean, in general and (2) marine mammals, in particular. MareCet is registered as a non-profit, non-governmental body with the Registrar of Societies Malaysia and has tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Board of Malaysia.
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