Three marine parks in Sabah to be shark sanctuaries

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will declare three of its marine parks as shark sanctuaries by mid-2016 in a bid protect the endangered marine creatures, said Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

They are the Tun Sakaran marine park in Semporna district, Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park here and the proposed Tun Mustapha marine park in Kudat.

These marine parks cover a total area of some two million hectares and are home to about 80 per cent of our shark population, said Masidi after launching the My Fin My Life campaign to reduce shark fin consumption and promote sustainable seafood at Suria Sabah shopping mall here yesterday.

Masidi said the move to ban shark fishing at the marine parks would hopefully increase the shark population.

Masidi said his ministrys officers were finalising documents to be tabled during the state cabinet meeting for the three marine parks to be gazetted as shark sanctuaries.

He said the announcement would coincide with the declaration of the Tun Mustapha marine park in the middle of the year.

He said the state had no choice but to use state laws to protect Sabahs shark population when a request to the federal government to amend the Fisheries Act to protect marine creature was rejected.

We only asked for shark hunting to be banned in Sabah, not in other states, said Masidi, adding he was not afraid of being politically incorrect in the name of protecting the states natural heritage.

Last September Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said that the Sabah governments request for a ban on shark hunting and finning in the state was unnecessary.

He said sharks, unlike tuna, were accidentally caught by fishermen in Malaysian waters. This indicated that shark hunting and the finning industry did not exist in Malaysia.

Masidi also said sharks are endangered and should be protected. Sharks are vital to Sabah’s diving industry and earned the state about RM364 million in 2014.

In line with this, the Sabah State Government is urging all parties to collaborate with the Sabah Shark Protection Association and partners to take urgent action to minimise the effects of seafood consumption to our marine biodiversity.

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Amazing Place in Borneo: Bohey Dulang, Semporna Sabah

Bohey Dulang Island is a mountainous island formed by the remnants of an ancient volcano.

It is separated from Bodgaya, the biggest island in Tun Sakaran Marine Park, by a shallow channel.

The crater is now flooded with seawater to form a large, majestic lagoon 25m deep.

The southern side of the lagoon is open but just below the surface is a long stretch of reef which represents the southern crater rim.

The island is best known for the breathtaking views at the top of its peak, bird watching and the Giant Clams and Marine Invertebrate Hatchery.

Bohey Dulang Island is also known for its population of Sea Gypsies, which are some of the most photographed around the marine park.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Amazing Place in Borneo: Bohey Dulang, Semporna Sabah

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Exploring Tun Sakaran Marine Park

Tun Sakaran Marine Park, also known as Semporna Islands Park, is a marine park located off the east coast of the state of Sabah in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It consists of the islands of Boheydulang, Bodgaya, Sebangkat, and Selakan, the sand cays of Maiga, Sibuan, and Mantabuan, and the patch reefs of Church and Kapikan.

In 2004, the park became the seventh gazetted area under Sabah Parks with a total area of 35,000 hectares. The crater (the remains of volcanic eruption two and a half million years ago) within the park, forms a perfect plate of deep blue sea out-skirted by coral reefs.

Sixteen members of the Sabah Society-Sandakan and the Borneo Bird Club, as well as a few enthusiastic friends explored the natural wonders of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park from 26th to 28th October, 2012. We gathered at Semporna, the town with its feet in the sea, which is our transit point before proceeding offshore to the islands the next day. Upon checking-in at Seafest Hotel, we took a leisure walk to the market. In the evening, we had steamboat at the rustic Dragon Inn Restaurant on stilts by the sea.

The richness of the sea, fishes of all kinds, sea cucumbers, shells, pearls and in recent years, seaweed farming have attracted many tourists and fisher-folks to Semporna and its islands. The major islands of the park are visible in a distance from Semporna, forming a unique shape of a pregnant lady lying down at her back.

Early the next morning, we travelled in two speedboats headed for the Boheydulang Island, where the Sabah Parks station is located. The boat ride was about 45 minutes on calm turquoise waters with serene panoramic seascape views. After registration at the office, we hiked up to one of the peaks of the Boheydulang Island, guided by the Sabah Parks staff.

It was a moderately easy hike through the forest of about 300 metres which took us almost 45 minutes. Anyway, it was a bit challenging for those who are not used to trekking in the forest on fairly steep slopes. The view of the islands from the top was spectacular and mesmerizing on a bright sunny day! So, we took lots of photos and stayed on the peak for quite a while, enjoying the natural beauty of God’s wonderful creation.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Exploring Tun Sakaran Marine Park

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Expedition to gather data for proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park

KOTA KINABALU: An expedition at the proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park hopes to gather data to provide a strong basis for gazetting the park into a protected area.

So far, its preliminary results during an expedition from September 6 to 26, found certain species of fish and coral are in fact under threat due to human activities such as fish bombing and overfishing.

The group consisted of marine biologists from Malaysia, Netherlands and Australia who assessed the marine biodiversity and ecology in the park as well as the socio-economic benefits of its marine ecosystems to local communities.

The expedition was organised by the Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Naturalis Biodiversity Centre (The Netherlands), Sabah Parks, and WWF-Malaysia.

The survey covered areas in the proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park which roughly spans from Kudat to Pulau Banggi.

A press conference was held at the UMS yesterday to announce its preliminary results.

UMS vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah said that the marine park, covering an area of 1.02 million hectares, if protected, will help the conservation of marine biodiversity and promote sustainable development of fisheries that provide livelihood to the coastal communities.

“A marine park is generally associated with the development of ecotourism infrastructure which contributes to socioeconomic benefits and offers alternative means of livelihood. When gazetted, this park too will immensely benefit the society,” he said in his speech delivered by deputy vice-chancellor (research & innovation) Prof Dr Shahril Yusof.

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New attractions doing wonders for Sabah tourism

BIRD watching, rock climbing, hiking, paragliding, homestays, mountain bike rides, jungle trekking, cultural events and seafood, to name a few.

These are probably some of the reasons why the tourism industry has remained vibrant in Sabah.

The Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, Sukau, as well as the islands within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Kota Kinabalu and Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna, in the meantime, continue to play the role as the state’s anchor products.

But it’s the growing popularity of new attractions that is helping Sabah maintain the growth in tourist arrivals each year.

Seasoned tour guide and operator Tham Yau Kong said for years, the tourism mainstay centred around Mount Kinabalu, diving, the orang utans in Sepilok and wildlife safari in Sukau.

“But over the years, new activities are attracting tourists and keeping the industry busy,” he said, noting that most of the new attractions are nature or culture-based activities.

“Eco-tourism is the best bet for Sabah as it is blessed with beautiful natural surroundings,” said Tham, who specialises in mountain bike expeditions, the Sandakan-Ranau Death March and more recently, motorbike excursions.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: New attractions doing wonders for Sabah tourism

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Giant Clam Culture in Semporna To Help Conserve Marine Heritage

SEMPORNA -- The Giant Clam Culture Centre on Buhey Dulang Island plays a vital role in conserving the marine ecosystem at the Tun Sakaran Marine Park off the coast of Semporna, Sabah.

The centre, the first of its kind under Sabah Parks, conducts research and cultures giant clams with seeds supplied to the local community to help them reduce their over-reliance on natural marine resources.

The centre, established in 2006 under the Semporna Islands Darwin Project, is the result of cooperation between Sabah Parks and the Marine Conservation Society-United Kingdom.

Sabah Parks' Marine Research Officer Nasrulhakim Maidin noted that the culture centre serves as an attraction where outsiders can learn more about the clams.

"Giant clam culture is important because their numbers have depleted from over-harvesting around the waters of Semporna," he told Bernama during a visit to Buhey Dulang Island of the coast of Semporna.

The giant clam is a mollusc in the Bivalvia class that thrives in Indo-Pacific waters.

There are seven species of giant clams in Malaysian Waters, and some can grow up to 60cm in length.

According to Nasrul, giant clams not only thrive on plankton but also produce their own nutrients through photosynthesis, with the help of the algae.

"The giant clam plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as it filters the water," he said.

SEEDING THE CLAMS

So how to culture the giant clams? First, the giant clam brood stock is selected and its size is recorded for future reference.

Then the clam shell is cleaned with a nylon brush and numbered for future reference. The seeding is done by injecting diluted serotonin, a hormone, to stimulate spawning.

Within minutes, the giant clam stock reacts and produces eggs and sperm that are collected in big plastic bags to fertilize in a few days.

Six months after hatching, the seed is released into the sea within the reef area, initially in cages to protect them from predators.

The seeds that hatch at the centre are mostly relocated near Ribbon Reef, an area within the national park allocated for education on marine life.

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Tun Sakaran Marine Park to have more diving spots

SEMPORNA: The Tun Sakaran Marine Park (TSMP) here will be used as a springboard to encourage eco-tourism when over 50 areas boasting of attractive corals and marine life are transformed into diving spots.

Sabah Parks director Paul Basintal said 56 spots were identified in the vicinity of the 35,000-hectare park which was gazetted a marine park in 2005.

Currently, he said, two areas near Pulau Mantabuan and Pulau Sibuan were open to tour operators to lure divers in limited numbers.

“The other diving areas would be open in stages to enable close monitoring, especially by limiting the number of divers at one time,” he told Bernama after opening a Coral Identification Workshop in Pulau Buheydulang near here yesterday.

There are eight islands in the marine park, namely Boheydulang, Tatagan, Mantabuan, Bodgaya, Maiga, Sibuan, Selakan and Sebangkat.

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Divers plant 777 corals at Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna

SEMPORNA: Fifty divers, including international participants, took part in a coral planting event in Sabah's east coast district.

Held under Astro Kasih's Beautiful Malaysia programme, the divers, who also comprised 25 Astro Kasih staff members, planted 777 individual corals at Ribbon Reef in Tun Sakaran Marine Park near Bohey Dulang Island, about an hour's boat ride from here.

The feat earned them a place in the Malaysia Book of Records after their effort eclipsed the last record of 501 individual corals planted last year.

“It is very significant because plenty of coral reefs have died,” Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She added that the feat would help highlight the state and Malaysia's tourism sites, especially after several sites were hit by coral bleaching last year.

Dr Ng also said talks were under way to have direct flights from two eastern Russian cities to Kota Kinabalu by year-end.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Divers plant 777 corals at Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna

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