Currents - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.my/downloads/currents__wwf_malaysia... · 2013-11-12 · Currents...
Transcript of Currents - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.my/downloads/currents__wwf_malaysia... · 2013-11-12 · Currents...
Making a Splash!
Currents WWF-Malaysia Marine Programme Jul - Sept 2013
Tunku Abdul Rahman Uni College Collects 1,001 Mobile Phones to Save Turtles
Save Our Seafood (S.O.S)- Join the Sustainable
Seafood Movement
HAPPY DIWALI! May the festival of lights encircle
your life with joy and happiness!
The students of Advanced Diploma in Public Relations, Tunku Abdul
Rahman University College (TAR UC) collected 1,001 old mobile
phones during a three-day “Connect2Conserve” event at the
college’s KL main campus, garnering USD$1,001 (RM3,153) from
Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) that was donated to WWF-
Malaysia’s marine turtle conservation programme.
Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) had agreed to donate USD$1
(RM3.15) to WWF-Malaysia for every mobile phone recycled during
the event held July 10–12. By combining phone recycling and the
need to conserve endangered turtles, the event organizers also
collected 3,711 pledges from students and staff to stop the sale and
consumption of turtle parts and eggs, and to petition to the
government to amend Malaysian policies to impose hollistic laws in
protecting turtles.
Marine turtles are threatened by the sale and consumption of their
eggs, as well as pollution of the seas and nesting beaches, adding
weight on the need to highlight marine-turtle conservation to youths
through such events.
This was the TAR UC PR students’ third collaboration with Nokia and
this industry-linked campaign provided the students the opportunity
to enhance their PR campaign and as young Malaysians, to
contribute to our society’s vital needs of preserving and saving the
environment. Their enthusiasm and hard work paid off when at the
end of the event, the students broke their previous record on phone
collection.
Students and lecturers of TAR UC came together at the event to achieve
their goal of collecting old mobile phones to help turtle conservation
efforts. © Photos courtesy of Advanced Diploma in PR students, TAR UC
TMP Divers is a group of divers on Banggi Island who
volunteered their time and effort to do reef monitoring
and coral restoration around Banggi island. Initiated by
BYC, they are working to revive the island's natural beauty.
© WWF-Malaysia/Bobita Ahad
CLICK on the picture to watch the PSA!
Demarcation Buoys to Mark ‘No-Take Zone’ in Berungus Managed Area
Finally getting its first taste of the salt and waves off the coast of Berungus, the wooden boat named ‘Sinaran Express’ (Sunlight
Express), will be the completion to the eco-tourism package to Berungus. The wooden boat is an in-kind support from WWF-
Malaysia with funding from USAID’s Coral Triangle Support Partnership to the Berungus Community for the eco-tourism
development in the region of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP). The ceremony for hand-over took place on the 7th
September, with participation of Sabah Parks, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and other NGOs.
Eco-tourism will play an important role in reducing the pressure on fishermen of the region and on our marine resources. This
concept is well accepted by the coastal and island communities living within the proposed TMP besides being viewed as an
opportunity for sustainable income. Facilities such as homestay, toilet, clean water, and jetty are already made available and
‘Sinaran Express’ would fulfil the accessibility and finally commence the tourist influx to Berungus Island.
WWF-Malaysia 's support to the Berungus community came in due to the long-term cooperation and responsible performance of
the community members. The community of the village has already proven their commitment towards conservation work and
sustainability with regular patrolling and establishment of a ‘No-Take Zone’ to protect the area from being exploited destructively,
and also with further support for better awareness of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park – the largest marine protected area in
Malaysia once it is gazetted.
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
“Sunlight Express” for Eco-tourism in Berungus
A Community Dialogue session was facilitated by Sabah Parks and WWF-Malaysia on 18 September in Kudat for the
community from villages in Pitas district, namely Berungus, Lok Dangkaan, Malubang, Pansuran and Sawangon. The
dialogue was conducted to socialize the boundary of Berungus Managed Area (BMA) including its no-take zone, to clarify
the role of community in BMA and to build a common platform for the community from the five villages to address
conflicts and other existing issues.
At the end of the dialogue, the community representatives came to a consensus to have a clearer demarcation buoys for
BMA to provide better boundaries for the ‘No-Take Zone’ in BMA. They have also requested for a detailed presentation
about ‘No-Take Zone’ to other local fishing communities staying within the vicinity of the BMA, which Sabah Parks has
taken note of.
(Left) Representatives from the villages around Berungus discussed about the area that could be gazetted as ‘No Take Zone’ while
having some left for fishing. (Right) Pak Karim Laing, the guardian of the Berungus reef explained to the communities representatives
from other villages about Berungus Managed Area. © WWF-Malaysia/Bobita Ahad
The hand-over ceremony attended by representatives from Sabah Parks, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Kudat
Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS). © WWF-Malaysia/Sarmalin Sakirun
Green Educator Certification for GREEN members
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Recognising the need for GREEN—a local youth's club passion to
preserve the environment and hunger to increase their
conservation knowledge especially regarding marine issues in
Semporna was given the right platform at the Marine Biodiversity
Conservation Workshop (MBCW) on 23 and 26-29 August at SMK
Tagasan, Semporna. The 5-day workshop conducted by WWF-
Malaysia included certification for Green Educator which will
evaluate GREENs practical skills and certification with Green
Educator Theory Examination. The workshop covered five topics
namely Species Protection for Sharks and Turtle, Fisheries in
Malaysia, Climate Change, Water Pollution and Marine Protected
Area. Each topic was presented by experts of the field such as
Tropical Research and Conservation Centre (TRACC) and WWF-
Malaysia. Besides the certification examination, the workshop also
aimed to provide capacity-building opportunities to volunteers
among students and teachers as facilitator and awareness activity
planners, to identify potential champions within GREENs to assist
conservation in Semporna and to garner more interest from public
to be a member of GREEN in order to ensure sustainability of
Green Semporna for future conservation efforts.
A total of 46 participants were present in the workshop and they
participated enthusiastically throughout the presentation sessions
as well as outdoor recap activities. This workshop served as an
introduction to the Green Interpreter and Green Ambassador,
whereby ultimately these Green Educators will be certified as Green
Interpreters and Green Ambassadors and subsequently lead the
awareness events in and around Semporna to deliver conservation
messages. We hope this will further pave the road for local
communities of Semporna to champion for greener Semporna.
(Top) Participants in action during the Overfishing game.
(Bottom) Demonstration on how the ecosystem related to each
other present by GREENs.
©WWF-Malaysia/Massurayah Manimbora
©WWF-Malaysia/Massurayah Manimbora
ADUN Calls For Marine Education Centre To Be Set Up in Semporna
Sabah State Assemblyman for Sulabayan, Dato’ Dr Haji Jaujan Sambakong
proposed for a marine education centre in Semporna which would be a
teaching and resource centre for the local community as well as visiting
researchers. The marine education centre is aspired to be a resource bank
where results of marine researches, studies, historical background and culture
can be stored for use by the local community to be educated.
“It will also be a research centre for marine scientists from Malaysia and
overseas, as well as a tourist centre where visitors can learn more about the
wealth of marine life in the region,” Dato’ Dr Haji Jaujan said, at break fast
dinner on 13 August, hosted by WWF-Malaysia in appreciation of the
support for the conservation work done the region. WWF-Malaysia
welcomed the proposal and believed it will be a great support to the marine
conservation work in Semporna.
The dinner which included a presentation of WWF-Malaysia’s work in
Semporna as well as the launch of the first Anti-Fish Bombing song entitled
‘Suara Si Karang’ (Voice of Reefs) by local youth singers from Semporna, was
attended by representatives from Semporna District Office, Sabah Parks,
Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Fisheries Department, Malaysian Maritime
Enforcement Agency, Semporna District Education Office, Semporna District
Mosque, Semporna District Library, WAPO, Green Semporna volunteers,
Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) and Head of
Villages from island communities, as well as representatives from the tourism
industry and schools.
(Top) Token of appreciation presented to Sabah State
Assemblyman, Dato’ Dr Haji Jaujan Sambakong.
(Bottom) ‘Suara Si Karang’, first Anti-Fish Bombing
song performed by Semporna youth singers.
©WWF-Malaysia
©WWF-Malaysia/Monique Sumampouw
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Federal and State Directors of Handicraft Malaysia Meet and Motivate MICA and PARAWATI Members
Corals Get a Second Home to Grow off the Coast of Banggi Island
Banggi island was victimised by the use of destructive fishing methods carried out by local fishermen and those from
neighbouring islands, leaving the ocean floor off coast akin to an underwater desert. In an effort to revive its glory, Banggi Youth
Club (BYC) members—local youth in the biggest island within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park—took charge and decided that
their home island need superheroes presence.
The BYC members gathered to plan and subsequently initiated a mini-project within their own capacity to restore the affected
reefs around their island. They took turns from their busy schedule to patrol around the island daily ant to build coral frames.
Creative minds resulted in coral frames in the shape of their BYC logo, crocodile, manta ray, giant clam, turtle and sea cucumber.
After weeks of planning and construction, BYC members set the date 19 September to officially launch the Coral Restoration
Programme in Karakit, Banggi Island. The launch was officiated by Mr Chin Tet Foh, Fisheries Department of Sabah with presence
from Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS), Maliangin Island Community Association (MICA) and media friends.
BYC members check the growth of the coral fragments planted on a daily basis while patrolling the island from encroachment
activities and fish bombing incidents. It is hoped that with these coral frames deposited, it will encourage the return of reef fishes
and other fishes that are important for local consumption as well as potential tourism opportunity.
(Left) Omar Bural, President of TMP Divers posed next to a crocodile-shaped coral frame deposited during the launch. © WWF-
Malaysia/Bobita Ahad. (Right) Representative present during the launch attached a coral fragment to a turtle-shaped coral frame,
hopefully it will grow well at its new home. © WWF-Malaysia/Hui Ling
Following the engagement with Handicraft Malaysia during
the Pandanus Handicraft Making Workshop in November last
year, Ibrahim Ismail, Director of Handicraft Malaysia made his
first visit to Banggi Island on 19 September to meet and greet
MICA and PARAWATI members. Braving through the rough
seas from Kudat, he expressed his admiration for the beautiful
island and commended the women weavers for their excellent
weaving skills and delicate products.
During his speech, Ibrahim stated his support for MICA and
PARAWATI and voiced his expectation for MICA products to
be recognised at the national as well as international handi-
craft industry. He also brought with him an entrepreneur to
provide a motivational speech aimed to boost the confidence
of these women weavers in order to aim for improvement and
opportunities available at national and international level.
The visit provided the opportunity for Handicraft Malaysia to
recognise the hidden tradition and possible income generator
for Banggi Island as well as a potential player to the handicraft
industry in the country. This fruitful visit had injected the sense
of assurance to the local women to continue weaving unique
products.
(Top) Aziz Amirbangsah giving his welcoming remarks.
(Bottom left and right) Some handicrafts exhibited during the visit.
© WWF-Malaysia/Hui Ling
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Linking Islamic Obligation to Environmental Stewardship of Marine Turtles
Recognising that there are numerous sets of discourse on environmental
issues in Islam, the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia held a one-day
Forum entitled ‘Muzakarah Pakar “Pendidikan dan Kesedaran Alam Sekitar:
Penglibatan Komuniti Islam” on 2 July which emphasized on the role of the
Islamic Community in advancing environmental education and awareness.
WWF-Malaysia’s Terengganu Turtle Team leader, Rahayu Zulkifli was one of the
presenters to speak on the organization’s experience on conservation using the
Islamic approach for two of the most important flagship species and national
icons - the Malayan tiger and marine turtles. Citing examples of the awareness
activities carried out in local communities since 2008 with religious bodies and
groups, efforts are still ongoing to educate the masses on the roles a Muslim can
play in the protection and conservation of these species. One of the efforts
carried out was the publication of the ‘Islam, Wildlife Conservation and You’
reference book.
Since its launch, the book has been an effective tool in reaching out to the local
communities in Terengganu to champion turtle conservation along with
workshops with WWF-Malaysia which was attended by local Imams and religious
speakers. The reference book was used in advocating the direct link between
Islamic obligation and the environment.
Satellite-Tracked Turtles Named after World Sea Turtle Day’s ‘Turtle Run’ Winners
Winners of the World Sea Turtle Day (WSTD) Celebration
held in Kuala Terengganu on 22 June not only crossed the
finishing line with the fastest time, but they will now cross
international borders too through their turtle namesake.
4 turtles at WWF-Malaysia’s project sites in Terengganu,
namely Kerteh and Setiu which have been deployed with
satellite transmitters during the turtle nesting season which
ended recently, have been named after the winners of the
run. Themed ‘Race Against Extinction’, the 8km run was
participated by some 600 marathon enthusiasts.
Che Engku Nor Amiza Bt. Che Engku Chik, winner of the
first place for the Open (Female) Category had a healthy
female turtle named as ‘Amiza’. Another turtle, given the
name ‘Anies’ shares her marine journeys with winner of
the Under 18 (Female) Category, 16 year-old Anies
Zarryna 'Amdan.
Winner for the first place for Open (Male) Category, Mohd
Feldarus Abdul Rahman named his turtle 'Zainab' after his
mother while winner of the Under 18 (Male) Category was
16 year-old Wan Marzuki Wan Mohamad who named
his turtle 'Ramlah', also after his mother.
Through satellite telemetry, WWF-Malaysia will now be
able to track the journey of these 4 turtles back to her
feeding grounds. Marine turtles are dependent on the
beach for egg incubation and spend most of their lifetime
in coastal waters, feeding in coral reefs. Deployment of the
satellite transmitters is crucial for a better understanding of
their post-nesting movement and habitat use.
(Top) Runners at the WSTD Turtle Run in Terengganu. (Bottom Left) One
of the winners, Che Engku Nor Amiza Che Engku Chik. (Bottom Right)
Turtle tagged witih a satellite transmitter in Kerteh named ‘Amiza’.
© WWF-Malaysia/Sharifah Ruqaiyah
(Top) WWF-Malaysia’s Rahayu Zulkifli presented
at the Forum. (Bottom) The topic of Islam and
the Environment promoted healthy debate
amongst the participants.
© WWF-Malaysia/Nadiah Rosli
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Dying Tradition of Fish Listeners in Setiu Captivates
Audience at Malaysia Day Documentary Screening
Declining fish stocks and Setiu’s biologically diverse ecosystem were packaged in a poignant yet urgent love story of sorts in ‘Fish
Listeners of Setiu Lagoons’ screened to the public at the ‘Malaysia Day Street Festival’ in Kuala Lumpur on 16 September. The
story looks into the dying art of locating fish through listening in Setiu Lagoons, Terengganu. Produced by Apparat and funded
under the ‘Ke Persada Dunia’ programme of the National Film Development Board (FINAS), the documentary examines the
symbiotic relationship between the local fishing community and their environment – a unique coastal wetlands which is under
threat from rapid and incompatible development.
The documentary captures the story of Pak Harun and his son, Polo, the last fish listeners who today are a dying breed as a result
of depleting fish stocks and changes in the fishing industry. At a time when modern fishing methods are designed to maximise
fish catches, Pak Harun and Polo’s tale signals the demise of traditional fisherfolk and with it, changing our relationship with the
sea forever. To understand the key issues affecting our dwindling fish stocks and for an insight into Setiu Wetlands, a panel
discussion was conducted after the documentary screening with the panelists comprising Dr Dionysius, Dain Iskandar Said, the
Director, Writer and Narrator of the documentary and Dr Megat Al Imran, the Deputy Director General of FINAS. ish Listeners of
Setiu Lagoons’ was screened as part of the ‘Malaysiaku – Celebrating 50 Years of Malaysia’ Street Festival at Bangkung Row in
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Hatchling Dispersal Pattern Studies in Melaka and Terengganu
(Left) The public held their breath as they watched Pak Harun dive into the ocean to ‘listen’ to fish. (Right) WWF-Malaysia’s Executive
Director/CEO, Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma answers a question from the viewers seated next to Director, Dain Iskandar (center) and Dr.
Megal Al Imran from FINAS. © WWF-Malaysia/Nadiah Rosli
From their nesting beaches, turtle hatchlings are known to use light source for their seaward
direction and surface waves for guidance towards the open sea. Apart from natural predation,
artificial light sources may also contribute to hatchling mortality, in part due to disorientation
from their natural magnetic compass direction. Hatchling Dispersal Pattern Studies (HDPS) were
carried out during the turtle season this year in an attempt to determine the impact of artificial
lighting from human settlements, tourism infrastructure, street lights and offshore refinery and
petrochemical complex near nesting beaches in Melaka and Terengganu. In Melaka, a total of
24 hawksbill hatchlings were used in this experiment and the study was done at two key nesting
beaches. In Terengganu, 10 hatchlings were studied at three key nesting beaches. Selected
hatchlings were tethered using polyfilament nylon line to a green luminous glow-stick and
monitored from a distance by kayaks for approximately
two hours with GPS readings taken every five minutes to
establish their offshore directions. The direction of sea
surface current was determined by tracking the direction
of drift using a buoyant, equipped with GPS with function
of TrackLog enabled. Premilinary findings have been
made and future studies may need a larger sample size
and longer period of observation.
(Top) WWF-Malaysia’s Melaka Field Biologist checks equipments used for the study. © WWF-Malaysia/Lau Min Min. (Bottom left) A
Green Hatchling Turtle fitted with a float in Terengganu. (Bottom right) Kayaks following hatchlings in Kerteh, Terengganu.
© WWF-Malaysia/Sharifah Ruqaiyah
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Weekend Date at Bak-Bak Beach with Gloves and Garbage Bags
Since the first coastal clean-up was organised last year at the
Tip of Borneo, Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS) and
WWF-Malaysia came together to organise the second
clean-up programme in conjunction with the International
Coastal Clean-Up Day (ICCD) 2013 at Bak-Bak Beach, Kudat.
Aimed to bridge local communities from all folds of the society
to come together to ensure the cleanliness of beaches, rivers
and water outputs, the programme attracted over 350 people
to gather on a Saturday morning for the beach clean-up.
Participations comprised those included those from EAC Kudat,
Sabah Parks, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Bomba,
Department of Fisheries, Sabah, WWF-Malaysia, Banggi Youth
Club, Hakka Association, Hainan Association, Buddhist
Association, St. James, Pei Tsin School, Basel Church, Red
Crescent, Boy Scout, Girl Guide, as well as local communities
from Kampung Bawang Jamal and Kampung Bak Bak.
The event was made more meaningful with a talk by Dr. Mahyar Sakari, Senior Lecturer of UMS on the effects of chemicals in our
oceans and the way beach pollution gets into our food supplies and into our bodies in the long run. Malaysian Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has also supported the programme by generously allowing a trip on-board of MMEA vessel for a
short ride as a reward for the participants’ hard work to wrap up the day.
Shockingly, a total of 2,108 kg of garbage that included a gravitational 461.3 kg of plastic, 297.5kg of glass, and 25.2kg of papers
were collected. The purpose of tracking the weight of the garbage collected is to provide evidence of our direct impact towards
the problem of ocean litter and to encourage the practice of 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in our daily routine. We are
responsible in making sure the cleanliness of our coasts is maintained as we share the beach with nesting turtles.
Proudly Malaysian Marine Heritage
In conjunction with Malaysia’s 56th Merdeka Celebration on 31 August and the 50th Malaysia Day on 16 September, we highlight
some local collectibles and items that feature the country’s rich marine biodiversity:
In June 2013, Pos Malaysia Berhad issued a new collection of stamps and
philatelic items of ‘Corals of Malaysia’, featuring various types of unique
and beautiful corals that can be found in Malaysian seas. The stamps
feature five types of corals, namely Table Coral, Sea Anemone, Soft
Coral, Feather Stars and Sea Pen and were the first in its series and would
be offered for a limited time. It is the first for Pos Malaysia to focus on
corals in the field of marine life.
The new Malaysian banknotes put into circulation on July 2012 and
themed ‘Distinctively Malaysia’ showcases Hawksbill and Leatherback
turtles on the RM20 note.
(Above) Participants listened to a talk by Dr. Mahyar Sakari, Senior Lecturer of UMS on the effects of chemicals in our oceans and the
way beach pollution gets into our food supplies and into our bodies in the long run. © WWF-Malaysia/Hui Ling
Participants listened attentively to the instructions as they are to be
divided into groups to collect garbage from different stretch of the
beach. © WWF-Malaysia/Hui Ling
©Pic courtesy of Bernama
ww
f.org
.my
Voices of Community Reaches Out At Borneo Eco Film Festival (BEFF) 2013
The Borneo Eco Film Festival (BEFF) is an annual event celebrating Borneo's
biocultural diversity through showcasing environmental films and nurturing local
community filmmaking. The festival includes the SUARA series of community
filmmaking workshops and ecological talks with exclusive premieres of local and
international eco films for free and opens to the public. This year, WWF-Malaysia
becomes the official partner for BEFF 2013 as we see the synergy in celebrating
Borneo’s bio-cultural diversity and WWF mission to achieve a future where
people live in harmony with nature. Held from 27-29 September, the festival
aimed to highlight the relationship among local people and Borneo’s natural
heritage through showcasing of environmental films. The ‘Boleh Bah Filem Kita!’
(BBFK), which is one of the core events of the festival, is an eco-film competition
where local film makers must demonstrate how people relate to their
environment through a short film.
Apart from that, through a series
of workshops named ‘SUARA
KOMUNITI’ (The Voice of the
Commun i ty ) , the loca l
communities were given a chance
to tell their own stories with their
own voices through film-making.
WWF-Malays ia supported
community members from
Semporna Priority Conservation
Area and the proposed Tun
Mustapha Park to participate and
benefit from the training on
film-making approaches, styles
and techniques by guest trainers.
At the festival, the documentary by Jacques Perrin, OCEANS that explores Earth’s
five oceans, featuring ocean animals and provides a glimpse into the elusive and
mysterious underwater world, was also screened. The documentary reflects the
need to respect nature and demonstrates the negative aspects of human activity
on animals – goals that are very close to the heart of WWF-Malaysia. Ocean
covers 71% of our planet’s surface making up to 95% of all the spaces available
to life and home to 100 million species, and Malaysia has more than 4,600 km of
coastline and more sea area than land territory. Awareness and education plays a
crucial part for a better future and the Borneo Eco Film Festival (BEFF) is an
exemplary platform for this.
For more information, please contact:
Nadiah Rosli
Communications Officer
Peninsular Malaysia Seas Programme
Email: [email protected]
Liew Hui Ling
Communications Officer
Marine Programme
Email: [email protected]
WWF-Malaysia
49, Jalan SS23/15, Taman Sea,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
WWF-Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7803 3772
Editorial Team
Contributors:
Liew Hui Ling, Nadiah Rosli
Editor: Alexa Antal
Advisors: Gangaram Pursumal,
Monique Sumampouw, Carol Phua
(Top left) Winner and Runner-Up of ‘Boleh Bah
Filem Kita!’.
(Top right) Audience at the screening of
environmental films at BEFF 2013.
© WWF-Malaysia/Mazidi Ghani
“I hope you will be better enlightened of the richness of
marine life and the importance of conserving it for the greater
good of mankind and the environment. ”
Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO, WWF-Malaysia
Currents Jul—Sept 2013
Announcements
Nurol Huda Binti Nasir,
Field Biologist for Terengganu Turtle and
Painted Terrapins Conservation has left the
organization in October 2013.
We thank her for all her contribution to our
marine work.
We wish Nurol the very best in her
future undertakings!
A representative from the Women Association
of Omadal Island (WAPO) Semporna shared
her experiences from the workshop at BEFF
2013. © WWF-Malaysia/Mazidi Ghani