Terengganu has banned snorkelers from using flippers in the seas around its island resorts to conserve fragile coral, local media said today.

"Most of the snorkelers who use flippers are not very experienced as they tend to step on corals in the waters around the islands," Terengganu Chief Minister Idris Jusoh was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency.

"Although the rate of damage is slow, over a period of time it will become serious," he said.

Diving etiquette

The move, to be enforced within two weeks, will not cover scuba divers, he said. Diving enthusiasts say it is already basic diving etiquette to avoid touching any corals or reef.

The islands off Terengganu are among the country's top diving destinations and are famed for their coral reefs and turtles.