Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin during the launch of “Si Buding” ship at the Jeti Marina Kudat. - STR/MOHD ADAM ARININ.
KUDAT: The Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), which is the largest marine park in Malaysia, has given many benefits to the locals, particularly in terms of eco-tourism activities.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said since the gazettement of 898,732.76 ha area May 19, 2016, it has led to the creation of several dedicated zones for conservation, community usage and even commercial fishing.
He said the gazettement of the park has benefited the community by involving them in the activities in these zones.
"The activities conducted in the marine park are done in collaboration with Sabah Parks, WWF-Malaysia, Universiti Malaya and government agencies.
"The marine park has also seen community-based tourism at Supirak-Pitas. There are also turtle conservation activities at Tigabu.
"Authorities have appointed honorary marine park rangers, while a Fisheries Improvement Programme is also being done at selected villages in Marudu Bay to rehabilitate the fisheries industry and to encourage sustainability," said Jafry during the launch of the "Si-Buding" ship off the marine park here.
The ship would be used as a mobile station or office for TMP to support the implementation of conservation efforts.
The "Si-Buding" ship was named after a huge shark, Rhincodon Typus. The endangered species is found in the waters in the area.
Present at the launch were Jafry's permanent secretary Dr Jamili Nais, district officer Ahmad Shah Mohd Sunoh, Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) station manager Fazrullah Abdul Razak and WWF Malaysia trustee Alexander Yee.
Jafry said the marine park was managed under a joint enforcement committee that includes enforcement agencies, government departments such as the State Fisheries Department and WWF-Malaysia
Monitoring and information-sharing is a common method used by these entities in the management of TMP.
Apart from joint surveillance and patrolling, several support programmes such as coral rehabilitation have been held at several sites such as the waters off Simpang Mengayau and Banggi Island.
Jafry said the smart partnership with WWF Malaysia, which was inked via a memorandum of understanding in 2018, aimed at putting the management of the park on the right path and to facilitate continuous scientific studies in the area.
Jafry said TMP and the other five marine parks in Sabah (Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Tun Sakaran Park, Pulau Tiga Park, Turtle Islands and Sipadan) are also sanctuaries for sharks.
"My ministry is committed in maintaining the marine biodiversity, especially the coral ecosystems. We are also emphasising on food security, sustainability, self-sufficiency and ecotourism for the islands and the waters off Sabah.
"Therefore, Sabah would like to add more new marine parks in the future such as the proposed park at Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu and Kunak, as well as Mantanani islands in Kota Belud," he said.
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