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TAWAU: The Semporna Resort Operators Association (SROA) fully
supports the government’s decision to ban the sales of shark products as
well as possession of sharks or sharks products in Sabah.
SROA
president Robert Lo Ming Hoe urged the relevant authorities to seriously
consider the association’s request to ban shark killing or possession
of shark products in Sabah for the good of the tourism industry in the
state.
“Under the Malaysian law, turtles already enjoy protection.
In January this year, elephants joined the protected species. Sharks
are equally important but do not enjoy any protection at all.
“Outside Sipadan, divers hardly see any sharks,” he said in a statement issued after the SROA committee meeting here yesterday.
According
to Lo there were three important reasons why the association gave its
full support for the government issues related to shark killings,
including the fact that sharks are control agents for a healthy reef.
“Drop
in shark population may cause an increase in small reef fishes and
(this situation) may cause a drop in reef corals. Small reef fishes will
over consume coral polyps, thus causing an imbalance of the reef
structure,” Lo said.
According to Lo the second reason was that
the sharks were one of the most sought after animals to see whilst
diving because divers, when choosing dive destinations, rank sharks and
mantas as the first attraction, ranking even higher than healthy coral
reefs or turtles.
“(Sharks are the most sought) also because a
shark caught for its fin is RM200 to the local fisherman in Semporna.
The same shark if seen by divers underwater is worth US$50,000
(RM150,000) to the tourism industry,” Lo added. — Bernama
