Malaysia Announces 1.6 Million Hectare Marine Protected Area To Conserve Sharks
May 29, 2016
In June, Malaysia will officially establish the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the country.
The Tun Mustapha Park will occupy 1.6 million hectares of seascape, including 50 islands, off the northern tip of Sabah in East Malaysia.
Photo Credit: lanolin / iStock
One of Asia’s best diving havens, the region contains the second largest concentration of coral reefs in Malaysia.
Malaysia's Minister for Tourism, Culture & Environment, Datuk Seri Masidi, says that Tun Mustapha and Malaysia's two other major MPAs, Tun Sakaran and Tunku Abdul Rahman, would also become shark sanctuaries.
According to Masidi, sharks are a crucial aspect of Sabah's nature based tourism industry. "Shark species are vital to the diving business, which generates about RM380 million (US$9.4 million) per year. We will lose the shark population in 10 years if stakeholders continue serving shark fin soup," he claimed.
The concept for the park is to be a multiple use, managed area, which includes areas for strict protection, artisanal fishing and commercial fishing among others, and is expected to be a major draw card for tourism.
Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz
'Don't Waste Your Life': It Took Me 30+ Years To Realize What I'll Tell You In 10 Minutes
Stray Dog Accidentally Becomes First To Cross Romania-Hungary Border During Historic Moment
The 10 Most Captivating Epiphanies of the Month
Outdoor Cats Are Using $500 Starlink Satellite Dishes As Cozy Heated Beds
Stranger’s Note At Breakfast Leaves Dad Crying In Public
This Couple Had Flower Grandparents Instead Of Flower Girls, And Left Everyone In Tears
Daycare Camera Captures Baby's First Steps, Mom Is Overwhelmed By The Workers' Excitement
Police Officer Caught Playing Hide And Seek With His Police Dog
Backyard Chicken Outsmarts Sneaky Alpaca In Hilarious Feeder Battle
Security Camera Captures Fearless Cat Scaring Bear Off Porch
