Enforcement officers to be stationed at Tun M Park
Kota Kinabalu: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry through Sabah Parks will station enforcement officers at the Tun Mustapha Marine Park in Kudat as soon as it is gazetted next year.
However, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said it would be a challenge as the park is about one million hectares in size.
“The area is huge and it is situated near the border of the Philippines but I assure you all that we will try our best to have the area secured.
“I am saying this not to give an excuse that this cannot be done but as a reminder to all of you that it is easier said than done,” he said during the question and answer session at the State Assembly sitting, here, Thursday.
Masidi said this in relation to the turtle hunting and smuggling activities where 19 turtle carcasses were found in Pulau Tiga on March 5 this year.
The incident was believed to have occurred for the second time as 60 turtle carcasses were found on March 2014 at the same place.
Meanwhile, according to Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi, the Ministry will collaborate with non-governmental and other government agencies to curb turtle smuggling activities in the State.
“The Ministry has formed a task force involving those from the Wildlife Department, Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), Maritime Enforcement Agency, Sabah Parks, Sabah Fisheries Department, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, Marine Police, Malaysian Armed Forces, Customs Department as well as Civil Defence Department to increase our effort in countering turtle smuggling activities in Sabah,” he said.
He explained that the agencies involved will cooperate as well as individually work to locate and prevent the hunt of turtles.
“We have to admit that the issue cannot be easily curbed because Pulau Tiga is situated 10 kilometres from the Philippines maritime border. Mangsee Island in the Philippines which is believed to be the smuggling centre between Sabah and Palawan is also situated about 35 kilometres from Pulau Tiga,” Masidi said.
According to him, the situation is challenging because smugglers can easily come and go as it is near their border. Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Radin Maleh said the government has no plans to change the process of appointment for village security and development committees or to add on to the current 50 committees and four Urban Development Committees (JKDB) in Inanam district.
Source: Daily Express
