At the same time I've also seen and heard things that have troubled me deeply....
Trouble #1 - The Mabul Oceanarium
I CANNOT, as hard as I try, see why this project is needed... "Malaysia Boleh"... As a result of this COMMERCIAL venture ocean and land life alike will be affected. The island already suffers from an inadequate waste management system.
We are talking about an area that is located near our World famous dive site, Sipadan, yet we want to screw it up. Sabah and our Federal Government should be thinking in the long term. The project will require tonnes of construction material that will be brought in by barges and this in turn will destroy the island's marine life and degrade the corals off nearby Sipadan.
Most of the tourist going to the island are divers who already experience the rich underwater life available in Mabul and other islands around it.... we DO NOT need an oceanarium, we just need to figure out how to preserve and conserve its' natural beauty.
NO! to Mabul's oceanarium and resort - http://apps.facebook.com/causes/152265?m=454a9415
Trouble #2 - Shark Finning
On our latest trip to Mabul I watched in horror as a boat brought in a number of sharks and as each one was winced up the kids were busy working at fining them (See attached pictures). I had watched a documentary before and hated it but watching it live was even more heart wrenching and upsetting. I felt nauseated...
In commercial outfits they fin the sharks and then throw them back into the sea. That is like taking a human being, cutting off their arms and legs and throwing them into the sea alive...NO chance of survival and a slow death. This place we saw has boats going back and forth throughout the day bringing in sharks for slaughter.
I want to see those sharks ALIVE in the water!!! Not DEAD and in soup...
An estimated 200 million sharks are killed worldwide a year – 500,000 every day – and most of these are killed in an indescribably cruel fashion. This is a dramatic overexploitation of shark populations and a form of tampering with the largest ecosystem of the world that can never be undone – with far-reaching and dramatic consequences for our children and our children’s children. - Sharkproject.orgStop Shark Finning in Malaysia - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=17023942317 http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/ http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htmhttp://www.seashepherd.org/
On our latest trip to Mabul I watched in horror as a boat brought in a number of sharks and as each one was winced up the kids were busy working at fining them (See attached pictures). I had watched a documentary before and hated it but watching it live was even more heart wrenching and upsetting. I felt nauseated...In commercial outfits they fin the sharks and then throw them back into the sea. That is like taking a human being, cutting off their arms and legs and throwing them into the sea alive...NO chance of survival and a slow death. This place we saw has boats going back and forth throughout the day bringing in sharks for slaughter.
I want to see those sharks ALIVE in the water!!! Not DEAD and in soup...
An estimated 200 million sharks are killed worldwide a year – 500,000 every day – and most of these are killed in an indescribably cruel fashion. This is a dramatic overexploitation of shark populations and a form of tampering with the largest ecosystem of the world that can never be undone – with far-reaching and dramatic consequences for our children and our children’s children. - Sharkproject.orgStop Shark Finning in Malaysia - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=17023942317 http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/ http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htmhttp://www.seashepherd.org/The Main Problem - The problem with our country is apathy towards issues, everything is nevermind (tidak apa)... we NEED to EDUCATE people on things that matter. It starts with you and me... not wait for someone else to do it!!
We need to educate the local people to protect the environment and reap the benefits of doing so. Starting with the rampant throwing of rubbish to making money from illegal fishing activities (dynamite fishing, etc.) and shark fining. I have seen first hand all of the above and it bothers me that no one is doing anything. Do I blame someone for doing what is making them a living NO... I blame authorities for NOT educating them. If they are taught some kind of skill or trade that is legal and puts food on the table we solve both problems...
What can we do....
* Be less apathetic and DO positive things towards conservation... together we CAN make a difference
* Support all petitions and movements to stop the Oceanarium.
* Stop eating shark fin anything and make sure you tell people why... When the buying stops the killing will too.
* Take pictures and report any incidents of shark fining to activist groups that can help towards legislation..
Message to the government - Don't wait until it's too late we need to do something NOW!! When we all don't do anything about important issues we ALL have BLOOD ON OUR HANDS!!
Originally posted on FAcebook Notes on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 9:53pm
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