Support for proposal to create shark sanctuaries

Tawau: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Tanjung Batu Youth Chief Jhasarry Kang welcomed the suggestion of Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun that the State Government creates its own shark sanctuaries in the marine parks in Sabah the soonest possible to conserve the shark population.He said the photos on sharks with their fins cut off, floating in a sea of blood within a water village area at an island in Semporna recently, highlight a very bad culture of "how someone did such a cruel act and the horrible incident must be stopped immediately."

"How would the foreign tourists feel when they reach there and see this? It is understood that the said island is a famous island and a world class diving island like Sipadan.

"I believe through Internet the news would have spread fast and reached people from other parts of the world.

I think the tourism industry will have to pay a high price for some other's blunder or those looking for short-term profit," he said.

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Therefore, he stressed that public awareness on conserving the shark population is very important for it is better to educate the people about sharks or other mammals in the marine ecological system and to protect them rather than say sorry at the end of the day.

Jhasarry added that as there is going to be a rapid decline in the global shark population in near future, he welcomed the creation of the shark sanctuaries in the marine parks in Sabah for shark finning is still widespread, largely unmanaged and unmonitored.

The sanctuaries will basically protect the shark population, maintain its habitats and natural processes in an undisturbed state and therefore will ensure the maintenance of biodiversity values of the shark population and ensure necessary protection of the significant species of shark, he added.

He also suggested that sharks be categorised as endangered like dugong, the green turtle and hawksbill turtle which are already categorised as totally protected mammals under Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

"If the Federal Government does not amend the Fisheries Act like what was reported, perhaps the State could consider including the shark as part of protected species in order to ban the trade of shark fins altogether.

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"There is already an existing law like Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 that protects endangered animals, mammals and plants. Those who have breached the existing law can be prosecuted and punished under the law," he said.

According to him, the conservation of sharks is nothing new and had been mooted several years ago with environmental groups and non-governmental organisations in Sabah calling for the ban on shark finning, claiming the species is almost completely wiped out from the State's waters.

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