wildsingapore news: eco-tourism

Showing posts with label eco-tourism. Show all posts

Showing posts with label eco-tourism. Show all posts

Malaysia: Divers remove ghost nets, rescue bamboo shark off Malohom bay

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 2 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The threat posed by ‘ghost nets’ — fishing nets discarded or lost in the sea — to marine life forms was evident recently when a dive and recreation team from Gayana Marine Resort discovered two bamboo sharks battling for their lives in the surrounding waters off Malohom bay here.

The team managed to rescue one shark, but could not save the other.

The resort was conducting a cleanup operation following the discovery of ghost nets in the surrounding waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP).

Malaysia: 'Malaysians deserve to know why we voted against proposal to protect sharks, rays'

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 27 Aug 19;

KOTA KINABALU: It was reported yesterday that Malaysia was among the 40 countries that opposed a proposal to protect certain species of sharks and rays from exploitation.

Tabled by Mexico at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, the proposal which would require ratification this week, would see the marine species no longer being traded unless it can be proven that their fishing would not impact their survival.

102 countries voted in favour of the move.

Malaysia: Sipadan closure 'a good start'

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 14 Aug 19;

KOTA KINABALU: A Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) reef expert has welcomed the one-month closure of popular Sipadan Island to give way for marine recovery effort.

Marine ecology lecturer Muhammad Ali Syed Hussein said the decision by Sabah Parks to temporarily close the island was a good start to reduce and remove stress from the coral reefs.

“As Sipadan is popular (for scuba diving activities), it would be difficult to close it for a long period of time. A one-month closure is a good start.

“It will help control the quota (of divers) while ensuring the reefs are maintained in good condition,” he said.

Indonesia: East Nusa Tenggara set to close Komodo Island

Antara 29 Jul 19;

Kupang (ANTARA) - East Nusa Tenggara is set to close the Komodo Island tourist area in West Manggarai district in 2020 despite objections from communities, Deputy Governor of the province, Josef A Nae Soi has stated.

"The decision to close the Komodo Island tourist area is already final, and it will take effect in 2020. This closure is intended for conservation purpose in order to maintain the Komodos population and its habitat," said the deputy governor here Monday.

The protests from the community rejecting the closure of the tourist area was an expected response to the government's policy, Nae Soi remarked.

The closure is an effort to conserve the Komodo National Park and Komodo population from extinction, he said.

Indonesia: Komodo Island to be closed in 2020

THE JAKARTA POST 18 Jul 19;

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Tourism Agency head Wayan Darmawa announced on Thursday that Komodo Island is to close by the beginning of 2020.

“It is definite; we have decided to close Komodo Island next year,” Wayan said, as reported by Antara news agency.

The closure is intended for the environmental rehabilitation of the island and to improve the conservation efforts for the Komodo dragons .

Troubled waters: China-fuelled cruise boom sparks environment fears

AFP 11 Jul 19;

Cruises are enjoying a boom fuelled in part by hordes of Chinese tourists taking to the high seas, but green groups warn a wave of hulking new liners may cause environmental devastation.

Gone are the days when cruising was the preserve of retirees, who would while away the hours lounging in deckchairs, playing bingo or taking part in formal dinner-dances.

Modern liners resemble floating, futuristic cities capable of carrying thousands of passengers, where robot bartenders serve drinks and passengers can enjoy hi-tech entertainment.

Many of the new, more sophisticated ships aim to appeal to the rapidly growing Chinese cruise market -- now the second-biggest in the world after the US -- and are choosing cities in the Asian giant as their home ports.

Malaysia: Fish-bombing deaths - Agriculture Ministry waiting full report from cops

martin carvalho, hemananthani sivanandam, rahimy rahim, and tarrence tan The Star 8 Jul 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is awaiting the full police report on the two Chinese tourists and their local divemaster who were believed to have been killed by fish bombs while diving in waters off Semporna in Sabah's east coast on Friday (July 5).

Its minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said that such cases were rare and he would wait for the full details from the police before making any comments.

"We will wait for the actual report from the police. I think the police can investigate it swiftly," he told reporters at the parliament lobby Monday (July8).

It was reported that tourism operators are blaming fish-bombing activities for the deaths, but the police have yet to officially confirm it.

Thailand's $13 Billion Plan Could Woo 65 Million Tourists Yearly

Natnicha Chuwiruch Bloomberg 21 Jun 19;

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Thailand is already struggling to cope with the environmental impact of a tourism boom that’s expected to lure 40 million visitors this year. The influx is on course to hit 65 million a decade from now, signaling an even bigger challenge ahead.

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy plans to pour about $13 billion into expanding airport capacity and connecting major terminals with high-speed railways. As a result, foreign tourist numbers could jump more than 60% by 2029 to about the size of the U.K. population, projections from The World Travel & Tourism Council show.

Malaysia: Sabah to cap visitor numbers at marine park to prevent overcrowding

kristy inus The Star 14 Jun 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The carrying capacity to the five islands under Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) here will be capped due to overcrowding, as proposals to "facelift" the islands are also being considered.

Sabah Parks director Dr Jamili Nais said that at present the numbers can reach up to 2,000 visitors per day, with an average of 400 to 500 visitors per island.

“We are going to limit the numbers but that can only be done once we go online to sell entrance tickets.

Malaysia: Alarm as drifting ocean rubbish begins converging on Sipadan

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 7 Jun 19;

SEMPORNA: Sipadan Island, among the few places on earth which provides an unforgettable experience for scuba divers, has not been spared from the blight of man-made floating trash currently polluting the world’s oceans.

Sipadan Island Park and Tun Sakaran Marine Park manager Boni Antiu said that a clean-up of waters off the isolated island in November yielded up to 60kg of rubbish on the beach and 2kg underwater.

“The trash found under the water line was not only (drifting) in the waters of dive sites, but also stuck on corals.

Malaysia: Sabah govt to discuss sustainable tourism with Lower Kinabatangan authorities

stephanie lee The Star 3 Jun 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The state government will be meeting with local authorities from the Lower Kinabatangan area to discuss sustainable tourism practices in a bid to protect wildlife and promote green tourism.

Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said she was told that many lodge and tour operators in the area were not keen to be attached with any associations that could restrict their operations.

She explained that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operator Association (KiTA) and the state government through the Sabah Wildlife Department to promote sustainable tourism in 2015.

Thailand: Tour operators want better marine protection system

Clearer communication from authorities on closures would also help
DUSIDA WORRACHADDEJCHAI Bangkokg Post 4 Jun 19;

The temporary closure for rehabilitation of several famous marine national parks and coastal sites, including Maya Bay and the Similan and Surin islands in southern Thailand, and more recently Samae San island on the east coast, has drawn mixed reactions from stakeholders.

While many praised the ecological recovery plans, local tourism operators have complained that unclear information over the closing plans and the reopening dates put them at a disadvantage.

Phuriwat Limthavornrat, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, said that even though many operators agree with closing marine national parks, they would like authorities to notify them of the duration of the closure and how the places will be restored during the period.

Discussions with representatives from the private sector and the Federation of Thai Industries suggest that whenever the authority wants to shut down national parks it should mitigate the impact on tour operators, Mr Phuriwat said.

The government should inform related tourism organisations in advance, instead of making abrupt announcements.

Malaysia: Environment and wildlife protection key to Sabah's economic growth

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 31 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can sustain its positive tourism sector performance and growth by continuously protecting of its environment and wildlife, said economist Dr Rafiq Idris.

The Universiti Malaysia Sabah Business, Economics and Accountancy faculty senior lecturer said Sabah’s natural environment had contributed towards its big tourist numbers.

“People continuously visit Sabah because of its ‘nature’. The beautiful beaches, islands, mountain, waterfalls, jungles and wildlife among others are among the main reasons tourists come.

“Good environment and wildlife protection would attract tourists from around the globe to visit Sabah which has potential to further contribute to the state’s tourism sector significantly," he said in a statement.

Malaysia: Diving fraternity angry over picture of diver holding protected Hawksbill turtle

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 20 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: A picture of a diver holding up a totally protected turtle in the waters here has caused anger among the diving fraternity.

The picture, which was shared in a WhatsApp chat group with members comprising mostly professional divers and Sabah Parks staff, showed the diver holding a Hawksbill turtle up from the surface of the water.

The diving group has described the act as thoughtless and called on the relevant authorities to investigate and take necessary action against such irresponsible behaviour towards marine life.

It was unclear whether the incident occurred within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP) or outside it, but the water appeared to be shallow. It was also unclear why such an act was committed.

Malaysia: Increased diving permits for Pulau Sipadan

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 19 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Pulau Sipadan, the globally renowned diving destination, is going to become more crowded.

This is after Sabah Parks increased its daily diving permits from the 120 to 176 permits per day.

Despite the diving permit increase, Sabah Parks has however restricted diving activity to only three dives per diver (528 dives a day) as compared to the previous maximum four dives per diver (480 dives a day).

Taking into effect this month, the move is a temporary measure to see whether the additional number of permits and the increased number of divers would have a significant impact on Pulau Sipadan.

It is learnt that Universiti Malaysia Sabah will conduct a study on the ecological impact.

Whale shark selfies in the Philippines’ seaside ‘theme park’: A tourist experience that's out of control?

A fleeting sighting of the world’s biggest fish - a rare and mysterious creature - would be special. In Oslob though, a small fishing village in the central Philippines, they appear in a procession, a controversial operation that has divided the country.
Jack Board Channel NewsAsia 30 Mar 19;

OSLOB, Philippines: The effortless glide of the whale shark is a spectacular sight. Close to the surface of the water, the spotted skin of each passing giant shimmers in the refracting sunlight.

A fleeting glimpse of the world’s biggest fish - a rare and mysterious creature - would be special. In Oslob, though, a small fishing village in the central Philippines, they appear in a procession.

On this day, some 15 sharks, most of them male juveniles, have made their way into the so-called “interaction zone”. About 2,000 people will join them, and for five hours the sharks will perform lap after lap along their underwater catwalk.

Indonesia: Trash still huge problem in Indonesia’s national parks

Markus Makur The Jakarta Post 6 Mar 19;

The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration undertook a massive trash clean-up drive in popular national parks on Monday to leverage momentum for National Trash Awareness Day as well as enhancing its efforts toward greater economic empowerment through tourism.

Komodo National Park conservation agency collected almost a ton of trash from Komodo Island.

Margaretha Priska, an officer at the conservation agency, said they conducted clean-up drives at four locations -- Kambing Island as well as Rinca, Papagarang and Komodo villages.

The clean-up was held in coordination with several local institutions that included the Fire Awareness Society (MPA), village administrators, teachers and students.

Malaysia: ‘Protecting Sarawak’s wildlife a niche tourism product’

Cecilia Sman Borneo Post 3 Feb 19;

MIRI: Sarawakians should cooperate with the authorities by not buying, rearing or trapping protected and totally protected wild animals, to prevent them from being extinct.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin regards continuous and strong cooperation as being vital when it comes to protecting these animals from extinction and Sarawak’s tourism focus.

“Currently among our tourism targets include promoting nature tourism to tap its rich biodiversity, which is a niche tourism product especially to naturalists.

Indonesia: Population of Komodo dragons in national park stable

Antara 2 Feb 19;

Komodo dragons in the Komodo National Park in West Manggara, East Nusa Tenggara. ANTARA FOTO/Indrianto Eko Suwarso/aww.

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The population of Komodo dragons at the Komodo National Park located in West Manggara, East Nusa Tenggara Province, reaches 2,897 and is considered to be stable.

"Based on our record, the population of Komodo dragons remains stable, which is between two thousand and three thousand heads," Jackson, the Park`s Komodo dragon monitoring officer, stated here, Saturday.

Malaysia: 1,200 reef balls deployed to conserve marine life in Sarawak waters

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 28 Jan 19;

KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) placed 1,200 reef balls in the Belawai-Paloh waters and Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park last year to conserve the environment and marine resources.

SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said the flagship project was aimed at supporting turtle conservation and marine life protection.

“This year, we have identified an area in Kuala Lawas for the same purpose (reef ball deployment). However, we are still finalising the details,” he said at a media appreciation luncheon.

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