Sabah among best places for shark tourism
Published on: Thursday, September 10, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Misinformation on sharks must be dispelled to avoid negative perception on the species which is on the verge of extinction, said dive operator Scuba Junkie."We need to move away from the highly sensationalised 'shark attack' perception of sharks, fuelled by the generation of irresponsible information," said its director Ric Owen."Our Shark Week focused on amazing, yet responsible information about sharks – which are incredible creatures, their lives needing no negative embellishments.
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"Sadly, up to one third of all shark species are being pushed toward extinction in the very near future. Seas (Shark Education Awareness Survival) Shark Week will bring attention to the global threats on shark populations and examine what Sabah is doing and can do to alleviate these problems," he said in a statement. Scuba Junkie, the award-winning dive operator based in Sabah, had just finished celebrating 'Shark Week' – a week of activities aimed at raising awareness on shark conservation in Sabah waters and worldwide.According to the agency, there are an estimated 63 species of sharks and 68 species of ray in Semporna. Sabah is one of the world's best places to dive and snorkel with sharks – boasting species from the extremely rare and elusive Borneo shark to the largest fish in the sea, the graceful whale shark. Sabah is also one of the last population strongholds for endangered species such as the scalloped hammerhead, which has seen its global population declining to up to 90pc in the last 50 years.
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"This is an incredible range of species of sharks in one area, and any efforts to protect them, or to raise awareness on how unique Sabah is, should be applauded," said David McGuire, Director of Shark Stewards, a shark conservation organisation based in San Diego, USA.The event ran from Aug 30 – Sept 5 in Kota Kinabalu, Semporna and at the Mabul Beach Resort on Pulau Mabul – hosted by Seas, the conservation arm of Scuba Junkie.
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Local conservation group, Green Semporna, helped to organise the week's activities – with input from WWF-Malaysia and ScubaZoo. This unique collaboration of local and international experts ensured the week was a success with both local communities and tourists alike.The week focused on responsible, reliable information about sharks and rays and their conservation issues and efforts worldwide, particularly the work of the Sabah Shark Protection Association (formerly known as the Sabah Shark Alliance). Several lectures also highlighted the importance of Sabah's marine ecosystems and the conservation efforts to protect them, by both the Malaysian Government and environmental NGOs. Dave McCann, Environmental Officer for Seas, said: "Sabah is an important area for marine species and conservation. We wanted to provide a source for everyone – tourists and locals alike – to learn about the shark species and marine life in this incredibly diverse area, which is proud to boast many species of sharks and rays. "We also wanted to highlight the ongoing work of the Sabah Shark Protection Association and the calls for more protection for sharks in the waters of Sabah.""In addition to their importance in the marine environment, it is estimated that the diving tourism brings in US$34 million to the Semporna region, of which US$7.8 million can be attributed to sharks alone – 26pc of the total revenue," he added. "From an economic and ecological viewpoint, we really need to highlight the importance of these amazing animals to the livelihood of Sabah."The week's activities included lectures from shark experts, documentary screenings and information from shark and ray conservation organisations, as well as other environmental efforts such as reef and beach clean-ups and school visits in Semporna.But the highlights of the week were the days spent where Green Semporna organised shark awareness workshops for local children on Mabul. "It was amazing to see so many children turning up to learn more about sharks in their area," said Steve Ashby, Manager of Mabul Beach Resort. "The more we work with Green Semporna, the more we see how a small group of committed individuals can make a difference to their environment. It inspires us at Scuba Junkie to do more. "Seeing their work with the children gives us hope that the next generation will realise how unique and important their marine environment is, and take more steps to protect it."Rhena Ismail, Chairperson of Green Semporna, said: "I was really looking forward to Shark Week and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed meeting everyone and bringing together like-minded individuals for the benefit of sharks in both Sabah and worldwide."Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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