Sharks vital to Sabah: Masidi
Published on: Friday, October 09, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Banning shark fin hunting will directly impact the State's revenue as sharks are among the main attractions in the diving industry in Sabah, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.He was responding to Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek's statement earlier saying banning it would have minimum economic implications as it was not an industry in itself.The total revenue from the diving industry, thanks to the attraction of wild sharks in Sabah waters, reached RM364mil last year, Masidi said, adding that if shark fin hunting was not banned, the population of the popular marine life would decrease.
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"My point is, imagine if we have eaten or killed all the sharks, obviously there will be less people interested in diving in Sabah because they won't be able to see the sharks anymore. Which is better, the RM364mil or the shark fin soup industry which won't reach 10 per cent of the diving industry?"This only makes economic logic to me," he said, adding that it was a strong reason for the federal government to consider Sabah's request to ban shark fin hunting, after officiating the fifth Borneo Beads Carnival at the Sabah Museum on Thursday.He also said there was no need to amend the Fisheries Act. It's the Ministry discretion to include certain species of sharks to be fully protected, adding that it did not even have to go to parliament as it involved gazetting.However, Sabah may not be able to implement shark fin banning as it was bound by the Fisheries Act enforced here, Masidi said.
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"In Sabah, to gazette certain varieties it involved the enforcement letter as we are directly or indirectly affected by the Fisheries Act. If we implement (the prohibition of shark hunting) one day, a smart aleck then goes to the court and disputes, questioning whether it's a valid law as the Act does not provide for it, then I don't think it's good for us."So, we just want to ensure that all the relevant laws are in our favour," he said.
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Earlier, the Sabah Shark Protection Association (SSPA) urgently called for Malaysia to take serious action to manage its shark and ray population by implementing its international and local commitment. According to Worldwide Fund for Nature, which is a member of SSPA, Malaysia is ranked the world's ninth-largest shark producer and third-largest importer in volume terms, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation's report entitled State of the Global Market for Shark Products. From 2000 to 2011, Malaysia recorded average annual shark fin imports of 1,172 tonnes, worth USD3.2 million (approximately RM14 million) and average annual shark fin exports 238 tonnes, worth USD902 000 (approximately RM3.9 million).Masidi also lauded the Borneo Beads Carnival which is hosted by the State this year and participated by all five Kalimantan provinces, Brunei as well as Sarawak museums and is the only event that showcased handicraft made from beads throughout Borneo. He said the carnival would be an ideal networking platform for local creative entrepreneurs and expand the market for their handicraft products."I heard every single museum throughout Borneo is taking part in this carnival. It would be a good opportunity for local entrepreneurs to network and grow their business by marketing their products outside Sabah, besides gaining knowledge from others who have better workmanship in producing high quality handicraft from beads," he said, advising the locals to liaise and learn from their Indonesian counterparts who have had longer experience as well as high craftsmanship in the field."Weaving handicraft from beads is not easy as it requires time and patience as well as meticulousness to be completed, which explains why many refuse to get involved in the business. We are people with little patience, but that is what it sells," he said, urging the locals to take a leaf out of the Indonesian book. Rungus beads, he added, had become synonymous as welcoming garland in Sabah among the West Malaysians, as the first thing they would ask would be for "where to get Rungus beads?", saying that it had huge potential in the peninsula.Masidi also said the carnival celebrated the togetherness and similarities of Borneo folk who also share roots through inter boundary relationships and migration, adding that he hoped it would attract more visitors to the museum."The museum is the reflection of Sabahans past and history. In European culture, the first thing the Europeans ask when they travel is 'where is the museum'? But, unfortunately, we are yet to have that culture in Sabah. They are more interested in good places to eat," he jested.Museum Director Joanna Kitingan, who acted as the hostess for this year's event, said the carnival was part of collaboration under the Sosek Malindo programme (Socio Economic Collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia)."The participating countries' take turns to host the exhibition, which first took place at the West Kalimantan Museum in 2010 followed by Sabah Museum Department (2011), Lambung Mangkurat Banjarbaru Museum in South Kalimantan (2012), Brunei Museum Department (2013) and Mulawarman Museum in East Kalimanatan last year.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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