KOTA KINABALU: While stricter fisheries laws are crucial, greater awareness and a change in attitude among divers are equally important in protecting the state’s marine life, says the Sabah Dive Squad Club.
While welcoming the enforcement of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act on June 15, its president, Sim Fui, said greater education and awareness are needed among divers and snorkellers, particularly first-timers.
“We particularly welcome the increase in penalties for offences involving disturbances to aquatic mammals and sea turtles, with fines now reaching up to RM250,000 under the amended legislation.
“But we are proposing mandatory marine conservation briefings for all Discovery Scuba Diving (DSD) participants, snorkellers and first-time divers.
“There should also be stronger conservation awareness programmes at dive centres, resorts and tourism operators throughout Sabah,” he said in a statement.
The educational materials, he added, should be made available in multiple languages, including English, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and other major languages, given the presence of both local and international visitors to the state.
He also suggested mandatory reporting mechanisms for dive operators who witness marine wildlife harassment or illegal fishing activities.
This would include collaboration between government agencies, marine parks, dive operators, NGOs and local communities to promote ethical diving and sustainable tourism practices.
“As divers, we are privileged guests in the underwater world, but every diver and snorkeller has a responsibility to observe marine life respectfully and responsibly.”
Sim reminded all tourists and diving enthusiasts of the following principles such as, look but do not touch, maintain a safe distance from marine animals, never chase, ride, feed or restrain marine wildlife and do not stand on or damage coral reefs.
As one of the nation’s premier diving destinations, Sabah is internationally renowned for its rich marine biodiversity, including iconic species such as sea turtles, whale sharks, dolphins, dugongs and various coral reef ecosystems, said Sim.
These species can be found in the waters around Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Semporna, Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and the Turtle Islands.
He said these marine resources are not only important for ecological balance but also contribute significantly to Sabah’s tourism industry and local economy.
He said many divers mistakenly believe that touching, chasing, holding or taking photographs with the animals causes no harm, when such behaviour can result in severe stress or injuries, including reduced breeding success.
Sim noted that there had been several incidents in Sabah last year, highlighting the need for stricter enforcement and greater public awareness.
Among the incidents were viral videos of divers restraining and handling a sea turtle for pictures, divers grabbing and disturbing a whale shark, and threats to endangered hawksbill turtles in Semporna.
