KOTA KINABALU – Dried shark meat hung for display and fins laid out under the sun are being openly sold at a local shop here, despite a statewide blanket ban on consuming the endangered marine life.
Pictures shared with The Vibes revealed a shop in Sinsuran selling dried parts of the prohibited marine life as the shop operator’s actions earned criticism among divers and conservationists in the state.
The discovery of the dried shark meat being sold was made by the Sabah Dive Rangers group.
“I am saddened to see the pictures of the recent happenings here. I urge the authorities to take action against all those involved,” said James Costello from the Rebreather Association of International Divers.
In response to the shark meat and fins being sold, Sabah Dive Rangers co-founder Jude Junius said he wants the state government to take a firm stand on the shark ban to protect the marine ecosystem.
“Not only to stand by the locals in their quest to safeguard the ecosystem but also the tourism agencies, to stand firm on the protection and wellbeing of the sharks,” said Junius, adding that the sharks are a crowd-puller for tourism in the state.
Tour operator Billy Hammond said while the conservation in the local marine parks has improved in Sabah, the effort was not so good in other areas.
“The efforts of groups such as Sabah Dive Rangers and enforcement teams are admirable, but the government must put a stop to the issues of fish bombing and shark finning, both action and the sale.
“I see the end of the marine parks and tourism on the horizon, and with that will go the livelihood of so many,” he said.
The state has attempted to ban shark fishing due to dwindling numbers of marine life but has not been fully successful since 2011.
Shark fishing has been banned in areas near state marine parks since 2017, while hotels stopped serving shark fin soup in 2011 and, subsequently, restaurants around town.
State authorities had previously proposed amendments in the national fisheries law to ban shark fishing, but the federal government said there was no need for such a ban.
The Fisheries Department noted that sharks and rays are often bycatch, while shark experts claimed fishing of those species did not contribute to the direct decline of their population.
Local shark conservation group, Sabah Shark Protection Association, believes that sharks are worth more alive than dead, citing that a single live shark is worth RM3.5 million to Sabah in terms of tourism revenue, compared to a few hundred ringgit when served on a platter. – The Vibes, March 28, 2023
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