SUNSHINE STORIES

Honorary Park Wardens will be the local eyes and ears in protecting the proposed Tun Mustapha Park writes Nadiah Rosli Study after study have attested to the rich biodiversity found along the shorelines of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas District in the northern region of Sabah. With over 50 islands and islets, this area which spans close to one million hectares of coral reef, mangrove, seagrass and productive fishing grounds has been earmarked for the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP). In 2003, TMP was proposed by the State Government of Sabah shortly after it was recognised as a globally significant priority marine conservation area. It will be the country’s largest multiple-use park and second largest in Southeast Asia. Once gazetted, TMP will be evidence of Malaysia’s commitment to the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security and contribution towards meeting the Aichi Biodiversity Target. However, TMP is more than a collection of impressive sci...

Hooking science with native ecological knowledge and practices will help make the proposed Tun Mustapha Park a success writes Nadiah Rosli. Subtle changes in the winds and currents of the ocean have always guided Sakirun bin Abdul Rashid, a 49 year-old fisherman from Maliangin islands of Kudat, Sabah. By observing patches on the water and movement of the tides for instance, many seasoned fishermen like him can intuitively expect the type of fish swimming below or when to cast their nets.  When asked on how to distinguish the unpredictable nature of the ocean, Sakirun answers, “It’s just something that us fisherfolk know. We can tell when to haul our catch or when to return to safety.” Pulau Maliangin © WWF-Malaysia_Nadiah Rosli Banking on the traditional wisdom of marine communities, a growing number of scientists are now appraising these native knowledge and practices for its conservation value. Often times, traditional knowledge point to when and where to fish,...

A survivor in our marine ecosystem. I remember how fairy tales used to amuse me. Every fairy tale has a hero who is in charge of the rescue in his elegant white horse and save the heroine from the evil intention of the villain. The villain will be defeated and a happy-ever-after ending. Frankly speaking, how is that possible in this cold metal castle built in the middle of the concrete forest? It is almost not possible to spot a cricket on the ground, what more a white horse. Yet, in this midst of impossibilities, I found the heroic moment. There were no white horse but the moment was real. It was the last dive of the expedition and the storm has only subsided the previous night. The storm has dampened most of our spirits as we had to abort some of our dives due to the weather difficulties. As the sun rose, the expedition braved into another day against the strong surge of currents in order to collect as much data as possible to assess aspects of marine biodiversity and ecolog...

Posted by: Lee Yoke Lee The Kudat-Banggi Priority Conservation Area (KBPCA) is where two tumultuous seas meet: the Sulu Sea to the east and the South China Sea to the west. KBPCA seems plain-looking compared to her glamorous sisters Sipadan and Langkayan that are already the mainstays of marine tourism in Sabah. But underneath those grey skies, whipping winds and choppy waters that make it less than picture perfect, KBPCA disguises her riches: productive fishing grounds that feed thousands; diverse and mostly intact marine and coastal habitats; as well as the resilient fishing communities dotting the coastline. It was these riches that the US Ambassador to Malaysia Paul W. Jones came to see on 11 March 2011 . The Ambassador is witnessing a large-scale Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the making; a grand experiment in collaborative management of coastal and marine resources. Almost twice the size of Delaware, the proposed Tun Mustapha Park is already building strong foundations for su...