SUNSHINE STORIES

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...

By Sofia I remember the first time I step my foot on Maliangin island as a Community Liaison Officer. I was very excited to meet the inhabitants (community members). I have heard and read a lot about the island before I went there, and to my surprise I was amazed how this island has not become globally known as tourist destination. The island itself surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water. The island’s beach is a place for Green and Hawksbill turtles to lay their eggs while the other sea creatures living in the sea benefit from the coral reefs and seagrass thriving around the island. Dugong is one of the protected marine mammals that swim and graze seagrass around this island. I was relieved that the villagers were very welcoming and friendly, and as curious as I was. Me and my team members had a long chat with one of the family, Musana family, who is the prominent family living on the island. We chatted about the community’s thoughts about their area being promoted as a model...

My heart beat unusually fast. The weight of the tank strapped over my shoulder felt heavier than I thought it should. The octopus regulator was neatly tucked into the right pocket of my Buoyancy Control Device (BCD). The depth gauge was strapped tight against my stomach from the left. The regulator dangled at my right, waiting to be reached. My weight was settled uncomfortably on the edge of the speedboat. Slowly, I reached for my fins and tightened the straps. My mask covered my eyes and nose, allowing me to breathe only through my mouth. Adjusting my weight again, I could hear my heart beat drumming against my ears.   “BCD inflated?” the boatman asked. I reached for the short and black hose-like device on my left and pressed the grey button at the side a couple of times. The hissing sound of the air filling my BCD could be heard, as it slowly tightened against my ribs with each press. My heart beat faster as I reached for the regulator on my right and my teeth clenched n...

Group photo of marine scientists embarked in the expedition during the TMPE 2012 Press Conference in UMS  © WWF-Malaysia/Eric Madeja   From 6 to 26 September 2012, a team of marine scientists from Malaysia, the Netherlands and Australia embarked on an expedition in the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Kudat, Malaysia. The Tun Mustapha Park Expedition (TMPE) assessed aspects of marine biodiversity and ecology, as well as the socioeconomic benefits of the marine ecosystems to local communities in the proposed park. As signatory to the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), Malaysia developed a National Plan of Action for protecting the Coral Triangle region. This expedition is one of Malaysia ’s activities under the CTI-National Plan of Action. The expedition was jointly led by Mr. Muhammad Ali Syed Hussein, Leader of the UMS team; Dr. Bert Hoeksema of Naturalis Biodiveristy Center , Leader of the Coral Reef Biodiversity Team; and Ms. Bobita Ahad of WWF-Malaysia,...

Sabah Parks, the Banggi Youth Club and WWF-Malaysia organised a ’Run for TMP’  in Karakit, Banggi Island, within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) on 15 July. Sabah Parks, the Banggi Youth Club and WWF-Malaysia organised a ’Run for TMP’  in Karakit, Banggi Island, within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) yesterday. © WWF-Malaysia/Angela Lim The run aimed to raise awareness on the importance of the park in providing food security and income from tourism as well as its biodiversity richness, among the local communities and the participants of the run. A similar run was conducted earlier in Kudat town on 1 July to inform the public, especially local communities within the TMP, on the importance to support the gazettement of TMP as a multi-purpose marine park. Encik Asdari Beluot, Sabah Parks Officer, flagged off the 7km run from Astaka Terbuka Karakit to Kg. Batu Putih, Simpang Wak-Wak, SMK Banggi and back at 8am. He said, “It is heartening to see so ...

  On 17 th May 2012, Donny Musana who is a resident of Maliangin Island and an Honorary Wildlife Warden (HWW) called WWF-Malaysia Kudat Marine Biologist at around 4 pm saying that, he saw a whale swimming in the shallow water in front of his house in Maliangin Island . The whale was reported to be injured on its head. While waiting for the Marine Biologist to arrive at Maliangin Island , Donny was advised to keep an eye on the whale while waiting for the WWF-Malaysia team members arrival early the next morning. Banggi Youth Club (BYC) members were immediately contacted to help Donny keeping an eye on the suspected injured whale. Four BYC members volunteered to stay overnight on Maliangin Island, located about 20 minutes boat ride from Karakit Township on Banggi Island.                                   ...