Mabul Island...say it ain't so.

[peeweediver]

Help SBers:

I was just asking about resorts on Mabul yesterday only to discover a picture on the Facebook page of Celebes Live-a-board taken by the Semporna Shark Sanctuary of 5-6 dead sharks being de-finned right on the beach near Uncle Chang's Resort

. One Facebook post stated that this occurs 2-3 times per week.
Please "say it ain't so". I couldn't bring our group to an island that allows this to occur openly on the beach.

Rob

 

[jake11]

We did not see this at all when we were on the Celebes Explorer!!! ????????

Help SBers:

I was just asking about resorts on Mabul yesterday only to discover a picture on the Facebook page of Celebes Live-a-board taken by the Semporna Shark Sanctuary of 5-6 dead sharks being de-finned right on the beach near Uncle Chang's Resort

. One Facebook post stated that this occurs 2-3 times per week.
Please "say it ain't so". I couldn't bring our group to an island that allows this to occur openly on the beach.

Rob

 

[peeweediver]

jake:
Great to hear. I hope all I hear back is people saying I've lost it.
What did you think of your experience on the Celebes Explorer?

Rob

 

[Uli Kunkel]

It is so... unfortunately.

 

[Tippytoes12]

I also saw this terrible footage. When I was snorkelling in Kapalai in 2008 we regularly heard dynamite going off , which was so disturbing.

I'm afraid that I think that it does go on. This is a desperately poor island , the sea is teeming with fish and we all know how keen the Chinese are on this. However dive tourism must help bring some income and must surely help reduce this barbaric practice. My husband and I have only been diving for three years and in that time have done three Thailand trips . On each one we have seen fewer and fewer sharks. Christmas 2009 we saw about 10 beautiful leopard sharks in the Similans , Christmas 2010 we only saw one.

 

[jake11]

We had a great time on the Celebes Explorer. We did a lot of great dives in a lot of locations! The boat was kind of old and run down but it didn't stop us from having a FABULOUS dive trip with them. Great crew and great service! That is so sad about the shark finning!

jake:
Great to hear. I hope all I hear back is people saying I've lost it.
What did you think of your experience on the Celebes Explorer?

Rob

 

[Quero]

Yes, sadly, it's true. Essentially the facts are as follows:

1) The dive resorts and operators have been leading the protests to establish regulations so that this practice will end. The Semporna Shark Sanctuary movement is part of this effort.
2) The marine park only includes Sipadan Island, so that all fishing around Mabul island is legal. Until the practice is illegal, there is nothing the "island" can do officially to stop "allowing" it to happen.
3) Efforts are being made to extend the marine park to include Mabul and Kapalai areas, as well as the fishing port town of Semporna. You can find out more and add your voice to the clamor here: Semporna Shark Sanctuary | Facebook
4) There is a draft law currently in the works to ban shark fishing in the whole state of Sabah (where Sipadan is located).
5) Malaysian divers and tour operators have pushed with petitions, television coverage, newspaper features, etc. to get the word out, create awarness, and educate the populace.
6) A boycott of the destination would backfire as the locals are employed by the dive operators, so if they were to lose those jobs they would be even more attracted to the "easy money" of shark finning, and plus with no tourists around, who would even know?

I don't know what else to say. It's an issue, and only public pressure along with publicity is likely to have any effect towards change.