Guest guest Posted December 3, 2002 Report Share Posted December 3, 2002 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from thestar.com.my URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2002/12/3/features/redangreply & s\ ec=features ________________________ Tuesday, December 03, 2002 Damage control I REFER to Chock Eng Tah & #8217;s letter <a href= " http://thestar.com.my/news/storyx1000.asp?file=/2002/11/26/features/beauty\ x & sec= " >A boon to locals</a> (Speaking Up, Nov 26). While I do note Berjaya & #8217;s adherence to the guidelines and principles laid down for development, I wonder if the authorities or Berjaya (and other operators) are aware of the great responsibility they have in preserving the sanctity of Pulau Redang, or other islands/marine parks for that matter. In Chock & #8217;s article, it was mentioned that earth trenches, bunds and silt ponds were present to contain run-offs. I do question their effectiveness herein. Pulau Redang is a marine park with a highly sensitive ecosystem. The methods used to trap run-offs in an urban development are not applicable in such sensitive areas as Pulau Redang and require additional measures. I have video evidence of siltation taken by my dive instructor on a rainy morning in October. The footage shows the entire Kuala Redang silted up with brown and orange run-offs & #8211; looking very much like teh tarik. I would be glad to share this with Berjaya and the authorities. My greatest fear is that if this continues unabated throughout this monsoon, the coral reefs surrounding the island will die by the next dive season. Already, a few dive sites are facing poor visibility (e.g., Terumbu Kili, Mini Mount, Ekor Tebu) and algae cover is seen to be increasing over the corals, indicating insufficient sunlight as a result of dense suspended particles in the water. You don & #8217;t have to be a scientist to know that something is very wrong. As for the slope-cutting, I really do wonder if soil tests were conducted prior to the clearing as the tests would have easily indicated that the terrain was very rocky. Berjaya should have had in place the appropriate measures to green the exposed areas. Now we have two exposed hills with fast running water on its bare surface, and there is a mud bath every time it rains. Something needs to be done urgently before the monsoon picks up. As far as the golf course and airstrip are concerned, two wrongs don & #8217;t make a right. Such developments have no place in a marine park. On the Great Barrier Reef spanning 3,000km in Australia, only a handful of resorts are allowed on the islands near the reef. Most resorts are located on the mainland. The thought of an airstrip, let alone a golf course, is ludicrous. We don & #8217;t have to look farther than Sabah and Sarawak. If our friends there can manage their marine parks well, why can & #8217;t we do the same in the Peninsular Malaysia? Why can & #8217;t a single body in the peninsula govern enforcement in the marine park? This lack of co-ordination gives perpetrators an avenue for escape. In terms of economic benefits to the community, I would say that we are all being very short-sighted. If we think that resort operators, or even guests, are contributing to the local economy in today & #8217;s context of tourism, think again. In less than three years & #8217; time, we would have killed the goose that lays the golden egg. Islands like Pulau Redang are synonymous with marine life. People want to go there to see the bountiful and beautiful underwater life. What is Redang without all this? Can the local community survive when all these disappear? What will they hang on to? To a large extent, we are all to blame. The simple fishermen on the islands were displaced to work as boat operators and resort workers. We made their livelihood dependent on the tourist industry. If we do not adopt practices of preservation and stick to true eco-tourism activities now, where does that leave them? Also, when the planes start to come into Redang, the large community in Merang, which are mainly boat operators, will see their incomes dwindling. Do bear in mind that Terengganu has a large fishing community. From my conversations with the locals, the catch sizes have been dwindling. Do we even understand why? To begin with, fish fry breed in coral reefs (even deep sea fish like tuna and mackerel), which explains the vast biodiversity of our tropical coral reefs. If the reefs degrade, the number of fish will drop. It & #8217;s a vicious circle. During my dives around Redang, I have seen red snappers, pomfrets, groupers and lots more. When the reefs are gone, the fish too will disappear from your table. Give this a thought. The moment we humans intrude on this ecosystem, it & #8217;s really more about damage control than preservation. It would be more prudent to limit the appreciation of its beauty to a handful & #8211; who truly value this gift & #8211; than to create a mass market and in the process destroy the very beauty that we have come to appreciate. Selfish maybe, but definitely sustainable. Our real problem is that we fail to look at things from a long-term perspective and our interpretation of sustainable development is often warped. I do not want to be the last generation to see the wonderful coral reefs of Redang or for that matter, any coral reef in Malaysia. A great many of us share that view and we will remain vigilant. As for other divers out there, that registration card in your wallet is more than a licence to dive, more than an opportunity to get up close to the marine life. It & #8217;s really a responsibility to preserve this wonderful environment that we call home. Do lend a voice to Mother Nature. My friends on Pulau Redang (some operators and instructors) have taken the first step in forming an operators association. I am happy to report that as of September 2002, open burning on the island has stopped and all rubbish is being taken out of the island. The operators will also be upgrading their sewerage systems to minimise effluent discharge. If all operators, authorities and guests co-operate, Pulau Redang has a glimmer of hope. Please save Pulau Redang! The Dugong Dude, Kuala Lumpur <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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