Red alert for sipadan, must read

[The Wolf]

Oh, and by the way, I know the reality of the situation in Sabah because I have been diving at Sipadan since 1994 and have been BASED HERE since 1995.

Unlike some people who seem to think they know the realities in Sabah from afar.

 

[Midget]

This is a staggering statistic no matter how you slice it.

Why shark numbers off Sabah down almost 100pc | Daily Express Newspaper Online, Sabah, Malaysia.

 

[gee13]

The situation is complex. However I do believe diving dollars into the industry CAN put pressure on the government to take action. One of the positive moves is the marine sanctuary around Sipadan and diver number restrictions. Has anyone witnessed dynamite bombing on the Sipadan dive sites? I think not. Long line fishing of jackfish and barracuda schools? I think not. Incessant shark fishing and finning of Sipadan white tip reef shark schools? Cyanide pumping into corals? So yes I believe this symbiosis between diver dollar input and industry HAS made a difference. I hope that the sanctuary CAN be extended and policed. The story of a fishing trawler just outside the marine park is a worry but id be surprised to see them fishing for jacks right off the drop off dive site? Ironically its divers that end up complaining about the permit system, perhaps selfish to their wants and ignorant about the cause. Bottom line take the fish and reef away and fewer divers will come. The government will lose a lot in tourism business. I just wish something positive such as tourism dollars to fund cleanup and villager education in Mabul.

 

[Wk Sen]

an article copy from Stop Shark Finning | A Majestic Aquariums Shark Conservation Initiative

the government is "PLANING" to ban........

till today....no decision yet....!!


The Malaysian state of Sabah is planning a shark fishing ban in a bid to improve their tourism industry.
Tourism, culture and environment minister for Eastern Sabah state on Borneo, Masidi Manjun, said complaints made by local activists and foreign tourists regarding cruel fishing practices have contributed to the state government’s plans to impose the ban starting next year.
The decision makes Sabah the first state in Malaysia, ranked one of world’s top shark catching countries, to aim for imposing such a ban. As estimated by Masidi, only 20 percent of sharks spotted in the state 15 years ago are still in Sabah waters, making the ban an important step in preventing the decimation of shark numbers beyond recovery.
“There are only four coastal areas now where sharks can be spotted,” he told The Associated Press. “If we don’t do something about it, sharks may disappear from our waters completely. We will also lose tourism dollars.”
Restaurant owners in Sabah, however, oppose the ban, saying that sharks are also harvested for their flesh, skin and bones, which can be made into soup.
“We conserve our sharks here, but then they swim out to the South China Sea and get caught by Chinese or Vietnamese fishermen instead. What is the point?” said Sabah Restaurant Association chairman Lim Vun Chen.
While Sabah state will focus on educating consumers about the cruelty of shark finning and has removed shark fin soup off the menu for official government functions, the state will not yet ban the importation and sale of shark fins.
Tourism is a high revenue earning sector for Sabah, known for rich biodiversity in its rain forests and tropical reefs.
Source material: Associated Press
Join with us at Majestic Aquariums to stop shark finning!

 

[Midget]

One more environmental initiative for Sabah to put in place without ever having any intention on enforcing it!

 

[okidoki]

But what we can do is use our experiences, observations and knowledge to help those fishing communities understand what the future impact their actions can have, guide them into the right direction in giving them an option to make the right choices of what, when and how they catch their fish to support their income. It is easy to say because of this and that I am not going to sign a petition, at least by signing a petition you do something rather then nothing.
If you follow Rare Planet sustainable fishing program you can see that more and more people and communities understand that they can make a change themselves taking ownership of MPA's and other marine conservation projects. They are getting somewhere slowly but surely.
We all can help and have a positive impact.

 

[xariatay]

How abt doing something more concrete then? If you have been diving in Malaysia or else where, enter your dive log data here - global snapshot of shark populations as seen by divers. http://sharks-sabah.wikispaces.com/2011+shark+data

It is strange to for outsiders to ask another country to stop encroaching on a country's sovereignty, if Malaysians want to come out with this petition, why not? Write a good one & I will send to my shark friends to sign it. I am glad that Sabah is going to protect her natural resources, it is a good start.

There is a Mabul Children Welfare Initiative - "dive for Mabul kids" 26 Nov to 1 Dec. Poster here yfrog Fullsize - http://yfrog.com/kl1hx9j Details here. 2011 Mabul Children Welfare Initiative (International Non-Diver) https://www.facebook.com/groups/124068197683808/ As I couldn't be there, I donated directly to Hope Worldwide & instructed them to divert the donation to the Mabul initiative.

 

[okidoki]

I am located here in the UK and just have put forward the petition with regards to shark fining in Singapore and California to the Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society to give as much support.
Maybe Rare Planet which runs sustainable fishing conservation projects in the Philippines and Indonesia they might be able to support as well.
Good luck

Jeff

 

[Prof.mauri]

The good news is that we have persuaded the Sabah state government to add sharks and some rays to the protected species list - many news report on facebook save sharks in sabah or on our website. Our campaign for the whole of Malaysia kicks off 18th Nov 2011 - see our objectives.

We have been working for 15 years to reduce blast fishing, we replant coral and protect areas. If you want to help --- from awareness to fund raising to diving and planting coral, contact me.

 

[Prof.mauri]

By the way - The Sipadan thread about reef damage - the data about 98% reduction in shark numbers is from my team, We run the global shark survey - have YOU added your data?

The news reports are because we have been active and have persuaded the Sabah State cabinet to change the law, The first draft of the action plan was written by me.
We are in the process of expanding the protected areas around sipadan. It's a long process and its not easy but we are making progress.
You can help, send data to the global shark survey, volunteer to plant coral, raise awareness

prof mauri TRACC