SUNSHINE STORIES

Posted By: Robecca Jumin How do you make something quite technical like the Ecosystem Based Management for Fisheries (EBMF) interesting and easy to understand? We tried it by combining it with other more practical and interactive training such as SCUBA Diving. The Malaysian Non-Governmental Organization (MENGO) group provided some fund for us to develop training material and conduct training to the commercial fishers of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP). We conducted the combined training on the 10-14 August 2009, with 5 participants from the Persatuan Pemilik Kapal Nelayan Kudat (PPKNK), and 1 participant from the local community. The combined training tried to merge both theories on EBMF at the same time trained them to be divers. We were hoping that through the diving experience the participants were able to understand and appreciate more what is ecosystem. Learning EBMF in class What is Ecosystem based management? There is a few terms that more or less have similar meaning but ...

Posted by: Robecca Jumin Saturday, 8th August 2009. In the past two days, we hosted a visit from the newly created Environment and Conservation Unit of the Sabah Fisheries Department. We felt very privileged to host the visit of the full team of the unit that also happen to handle the SSME Tri-National Programme in Sabah, of which our project is closely affiliated. On the first day, bad weather threatened to completely ruin our plan to bring our guests to the many places within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) that we thought would be a ‘must visit site’. But ‘good’ weather prevailed - the rain stopped and the wind subsided enough to allow us to visit at least two of the 4 sites we planned to visit. The visit to Kg. Berungus, Pitas and Karakit, Banggi was worth the rough boat ride across Banggi Channel and the perilous short cross over a fishing vessel and fish cages to get to dry land in lieu of a proper jetty. The discussions the next day was equally rewarding and enlightening f...

Posted by Ishahm I have never expected that the recent field work would be the best reefcheck ever! I’ve done quite a few of reefcheck survey and as always it was just routine work and nothing much. But this time it’s really different! Breifing by Dr. Leela upon our arrival in Pulau Mandi Darah I was surrounded by a wonderful team members and friends. There were cheerful, funny, understanding, and very dependable! I’m really grateful for this and would like thank you all for being my friends and supporters! (as Kamin always said when he is joking, ‘Thank you lah kamu semua!”). Initially, I had a mix feeling and impression looking at the list of people who are coming for the expedition! I was happy to see familiar faces but at the same time I have this ‘unsure’ feeling towards few people! But my anxiousness faded little by little along the stay at Pulau Mandi Darah and gradually towards the end of the expedition it turns to a fun and joyful stay. Even though our schedule was a bit tigh...

Posted by: Sofia Johari Working in the conservation field is more than a full time job. It is expected, especially in the field, apart from having to fulfill your workplan objectives, you are also have to fulfill the expectations of the stakeholders/community. And expectation becoming higher and higher the longer you are within a site. Since there's only 6 of us within a 1.02 million hectares of a proposed marine park (Tun Mustapha Park) with almost 100,000 people to reach, the team members have to become very efficient in delegating work and multi tasking. All of us are now Community officers @ Marine Biologist @ administrators @ clerks @ office boy/girl @ drivers & communicators (except for team leader... still one lah). Having meeting with stakeholders till midnight (resulting in red blood shot eyes in the morning) and saturdays & sundays is not uncommon. However, we are enjoying our work as we believe in the cause (WWF/conservation cause of course...) plus having great ...

Posted By Suzianah Ramlee 1 Tahun kempen Anti Penggunaan Bom Ikan dan Sujum di 7 buah kampung di dalam kawasan cadangan Taman Tun Mustapha merupakan 1 tanggungjawab besar yang harus dipikul dengan semangat dan keberanian. Ibaratnya, ia seolah-olah sesuatu yang bakal berhadapan dengan bencana manusia kerana kempen ini akan berusaha untuk mengubah persepsi dan meningkatkan kesedaran mereka-mereka yang menggunakan bom ikan dan sujum. Pengalaman besar dan usaha murni yang dilakukan oleh komuniti Kg Berungus dalam usaha mengatasi masalah penggunaan bom ikan dan sujum berhampiran kawasan perairan kampung mereka perlulah di contohi. Berbekalkan keberanian komuniti ini walaupun banyak menghadapi ancaman dan ugutan daripada para pengguna bom ikan dan sujum, WWF-Malaysia, Kudat Team dengan kerjasama Yayasan Sabah berusaha membantu komuniti di sini di dalam penjagaan alam sekitar dan juga pembangunan. Saya akui, sikap komuniti Kg Berungus sangatlah luar biasa dan memberi saya dorongan untuk menja...

Posted by: Ishahm Few days ago, when I just got back from a long journey, some friends told me there was a crocodile attack at Balambangan Island. I was not so sure about this news and as always I will be sceptical about the croc stories especially when it comes to Kudat area. I’ve heard stories about crocodile killed man out in the sea and far from the crocodile's ‘wandering area’, but there are no evidence to make my self to believe that croc attack really does happen here, I even asked a police friend few months ago, and he said ‘mana ada kes buaya’. Anyway, the latest incident which happened just last week makes me now believe that those previous attack by crocs were true! Croc near Kuak Simpul Balambangan Island, Kudat (Photo: Lee Yoke Lee) _______________________________ Croc kills Filipino off Balambangan Published on: Saturday, July 25, 2009 Croc skeleton at Uncle Jimmy's place in Balambangan http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=66588

Posted by: Robecca Jumin A friend recently shared a newspaper clipping from the New York Times with a very catchy headline - “Worker dead at desk for five days”. The newspaper clipping basically talk about how a worker of a publishing firm died of a heart attack at his table and remained there for five days before being noticed by his colleagues. At the end of the clipping, a yellow box highlighted the equally catchy moral of the story - “Don’t work too hard. Nobody notices anyway”. I had a mix reaction to this. Working in a remote area like Kudat-Banggi PCA, and away from the prying eyes of the bosses with only ourselves to pace ourselves, this is certainly doable. I can also probably agree with the moral of the story, depending on my mood at that time. Reality checks though… can we really afford not to work hard? I would say, not really. Between our commitment to implement our workplan and obligation to donors, and our commitment to continue working with stakeholders here in Kudat-Ba...