KOTA KINABALU, Oct 8 — The federal government should have no problems banning shark fishing in the country if the industry is non-existent, Sabah’s state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said today.
Masidi was weighing in after federal minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek claimed the country does not have a shark finning industry.
“Normally, a ban won’t be imposed if there are too many people who will be adversely affected. But since the minister said that there is no such industry, then I believe it is a good reason to consider Sabah’s request,” said Masidi.
He urged the agriculture and agro-based industry minister to reconsider Sabah’s request that a ban will have minimal economic repercussions on the so-called non-existent trade.
To support his argument, Masidi cited the plastic industry which was acknowledged to be environmentally harmful but was not banned due to the umpteen people employed by the industry.
On Monday, Ahmad Shabery said that there was no need to amend the current Fisheries Act to impose a ban on shark hunting and finning activities despite reports of dwindling shark population and rampant illegal fishing in the state.
The reiteration came as a blow to marine and shark conservationists who have been pushing for more protection for the species in the marine resource-rich state.
Masidi stressed that although the state has some jurisdiction over its environmental affairs, the amendment to the Fisheries Act was unnecessary as it covers Sabah in its enforcement purview.
Speaking to reporters after launching the Borneo Beads Carnival at the Sabah State Museum, Masidi said that sharks were a significant part of Sabah’s RM354 million dive industry, while the shark fin industry was disputable and a finite industry.
“I do not think that the shark fin industry contributed as much as 10 per cent that the dive industry does to the state economy. So the question is, do we choose the dive industry or the shark fins?
“What happens if we have eaten or kill all the sharks that none can be seen in the wild anymore, what will happen to our tourism industry?,” he said.
Reports said that shark population in Sabah has declined by 80 per cent over the past three decades while a study by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report named Malaysia as the world’s ninth-largest shark producer and third-largest importer in volume terms.
Recently, Masidi also said that Sabah will push ahead with plans to turn several of Sabah’s marine rich areas into shark sanctuaries with or without Putrajaya’s assistance.
