(MY) damage to marine life

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Idris: Damage to Redang marine life may be permanent-New Straits Times

30 Aug 2006

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KUALA TERENGGANU: The ecosystem of a group of islands in the Redang

archipelago is under threat and the damage to its exotic marine life may be

permanent.

 

Ironically, this is due to the island's popularity and the lack of effort to

stop the hordes of visitors from snorkelling at the reef shallows in the

marine park and at dive sites.

 

The marine park at Pulau Pinang is a popular snorkelling site and the lack

of control over the hundreds of inexperienced snorkellers has taken its toll

on the fragile marine ecosystem.

 

" Pulau Redang's popularity has become its own undoing. Visitor activities at

the reef has exceeded its caring capacity and it is about time to initiate

some form of control, " said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

 

The agencies concerned, including the district office and marine department,

as well as the hotel and resort operators will be called soon to find ways

to limit visitors at the Marine Park and other dive sites.

 

" I am thinking of putting a levy of a minimum of RM10 per person to be

collected at embarkation points or bundled with the room rates or packages, "

he told the New Straits Times.

 

The money will be used for the maintenance of the islands and for awareness

campaigns.

 

During the recent school holidays, nearly all the 14 resorts and hotels in

Pulau Redang registered full occupancy, attracting some 4,000 guests.

 

Most of these resorts offered snorkelling at the Marine Park and other sites

as part of their packages.

 

" A damaged coral, such as the acropora species, will take years to recover.

 

" If we don't control visitors at these snorkelling sites, it may not recover

at all. As it is, the damage is already done. "