Dive operators based on the diver's paradise of Sipadan, are to be evicted by the end of the year in an effort to preserve the island's fragile coral reef and marine diversity.

The move, first reported in the May issue of DIVER magazine, has now been officially confirmed. The six dive centres based on the tiny island, which is small enough to walk around in 30 minutes, must be dismantled and gone by the end of the year.

The two more established centres: Borneo Divers and Pulau Sipadan Resort, will continue to operate from their bases on the neighbouring islands of Pulau Mabul and Pulau Kapalai.

Sipadan Dive Centre, Syarikat Rami Benar, Borneo Sea Adventures and PB Borneo Safari are fighting the decision, after being told by the authorities to relocate.

The tiny island has long been the subject of concern, with various restrictions, including limiting the number of divers staying there, having been introduced. However, conservationists studying the impact of tourism on the island's environment have provided numerous examples of damage and pollution. It seems inevitable that drastic measures would be needed to prevent divers from destroying the very habitat that attracted them to visit.

"It is clear that there must be a threshold for use of the area, beyond which the environment is bound to suffer. Whether or not this point has been reached is difficult to determine, but there are signs of damage and change," marine biologist Dr Elizabeth Wood told Divernet.