Archive for the 'Conservation' Category

Dec
10

Marine Nature Society wants your company to pledge not to serve sharks fins

They’re looking for pledges from companies not to serve sharks fins at their functions.
Of the many companies who support our little campaign, special thanks go out to Maersk Line & Maersk Logistics (Maersk Malaysia Sdn Bhd) who got everything off to a rolling start by being the very first company to sign on. Kudos also […]

Dec
8

WWF Malaysia wants government to educate fishermen about not catching endangered species

WWF-Malaysia deeply regrets the process leading to the capture and callous piecemeal sale of the giant whale shark that was netted by a fishing trawler off Bagan Sungai Tiang, Bagan Datoh, on Sunday.
This happened just when the global media was celebrating the spotting of the 1,000th member of this species off the coast of Mozambique […]

Dec
6

Save Our Seahorses fails to inspire conservation attitude among fishermen

A conservation effort to get fishermen to save the largest sea grass bed in Peninsular Malaysia received lukewarm response when only three fishermen turned up.
Choo Chee Kuang, project coordinator for the sea grass workshop by Save Our Seahorses Association, said they had expected about 20 fishermen at the talk on Tuesday. The talk was for […]

Dec
5

Study proves marine parks benefit nearby impoverished communities

Well-managed, locally-supported marine reserves in the Asia-Pacific region can significantly help reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life for residents of local communities, according to a new study, “Nature’s Investment Bank,” released today by The Nature Conservancy.
“It’s clear from this study that taking steps to protect vital natural systems, such as through the establishment […]

Nov
30

Terengganu island resorts to be accredited to promote environmentally-sustainable tourism

Terengganu’s tourism profile under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) is expected to change where it is expected to attract 30 percent foreign tourists by 2020, compared to its current 89 percent from the domestic market.
Prof Dr Amran Hamzah, who is involved in ECER’s tourism study, said the state would target up to 30 percent […]

Nov
28

ASEAN leaders recognise need for coral reef protection

At the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore that ended on 22 November, all the heads of states of the 10 members of ASEAN signed a declaration recognising the need to pursue sustainable developmen and recognising the phenomenon of global warming.
The declaration also stated 29 points of environmental protection, conservation and climate change goals, of […]

Nov
26

Report from the WWF’s Pulau Upeh turtle egg hatchery

A reporter for The Star recently went on a turtle egg conservation trip to WWF’s Pulau Upeh turtle hatchery and wrote a report.
We had to dig up the eggs, and be very careful about breaking them. The eggs could not be shaken and must be kept vertical at all times. We carefully dug up the […]

Nov
24

Sidewalk sale of sharks fins in Sandakan makes front page of Sabah Daily Express

SHARK fins (sic) being displayed on the five-foot way at Jalan Old Slipway, in Sandakan town, without stern action by enforcement personnel from the Sandakan Municipal Council.
Concerned members of the public said the “display” reflected total public ignorance that it is illegal to kill sharks which have been classified as a protective species. They said […]

Nov
23

Circular fish hook helps fishermen save lives of hooked turtles

Endangered sea turtles accidentally caught by fishermen off Latin American coasts usually die but innovative hooks that are too big to swallow are increasingly saving the reptiles’ lives. The use of circular-shaped hooks lets fishing crews more easily remove hooks from the mouths of loggerhead, leatherback and other turtles caught […]

Nov
21

The Department of Fisheries Malaysia’s 2006 plan for further exploitation of sharks

I sat down with the lengthy document The National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (2006), published by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. It isn’t so much conservation as we know it.
While it admits that it knows very little […]