Pulau Sipadan Waters To Be Gazetted

Bernama 19 Jul 11;

SANDAKAN, July 19 (Bernama) -- There is a need to gazette the waters off Sipadan Island as a protection park to safeguard the marine life there, Sabah Parks Director Paul Basintal said.

At the moment only the island, stretching 13.5km, has been gazetted and the waters would be gazetted in the second phase.

He noted that 12 popular diving spots in the area did not come under the conservation zone.

Speaking to reporters after opening a Sabah Parks seminar here today, Paul said the process to make it a gazetted area was in progress, with the cooperation of relevant authorities, like the Semporna District Office, which had put up a public notice pertaining to the proposed gazette.

"There have been no objections till date," he added.

Paul said marine park Tun Mustapha Park in the north of Sabah, is also expected to be gazetted by 2015.

The park, which stretches to 1.1 million hectares, covers the waters off Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, including 50 islands.

The park has the potential to be the largest marine park in Asia. Conservation of this zone would be done under the management of the Coral Triangle Support Partnership.

The proposal for this was approved by the state government in 2003.

-- BERNAMA