BESIDES the ‘My Fin My Life’ campaign, WWF-Malaysia is also working with state governments on shark protection.
An announcement was made by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun that three marine parks are to be made shark sanctuaries.
They are Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna district, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in Kota Kinabalu and the proposed Tun Mustapha Park in Kudat.
He also announced that the gazetting of Tun Mustapha Park would take place in the middle of this year, when he launched WWF-Malaysia’s My Fin My Life campaign in Kota Kinabalu on Feb 28.
In support of WWF’s conservation efforts, the Penang government has pledged to stop serving shark fin soup at state functions.
Malaysian Nature Society president Henry Goh favours a multi-pronged approach, including promoting awareness about the role of sharks in the marine ecosystem and how sharks benefit the economy (diving and snorkelling tourism).
“Stopping demand, political will to enact strong legislation, monitoring and enforcement and alternative incomes for coastal communities who depend on shark catching, need to be examined.”
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president S.M. Mohd Idris said introducing the “fins naturally attached rules” adopted by many countries could make a big difference, given the imperiled status of many shark species here.
“Shark conservation is a growing global concern requiring implementable solutions to end the loss of large numbers of sharks.”
He suggested taking the following steps:
SETTING up a shark sanctuary in Semporna and other shark populated areas in Sabah;
EDUCATE the public against consuming shark fin and draw attention to the cruelty of cutting off the fins of sharks and leaving them to sink to the bottom of the sea to die;
THE GOVERNMENT should ban shark fin soup from official receptions and hotels should ban shark fin on festive occasions, wedding banquets and corporate dinners. Supermarket chains should implement a ‘no shark fin’ policy;
AIRLINES can ban shipments of shark fin and stop serving shark fin soup; and,
BAN shark fishing as it is being carried out at an unsustainable level.