Semporna Islands Project - Zoning Plan and Conservation of Biodiversity

A zoning plan was prepared during the Semporna Islands Project following consultations with stakeholders and was included in the draft Management Plan for the site. The Management Plan was approved prior to the park being established in June 2004, and the concept of zoning formally accepted.

The Gazette Notice specified only the outer boundary of the Park and not the boundaries or regulations for the individual zones. This was intentional because it had been agreed that the recommended zones would be discussed in more detail before final decisions were made and regulations brought into force.

The proposed zoning plan has now been debated on a number of occasions with local communities and other stakeholders. For example, a questionnaire-based socio-economic study carried out by the Marine Conservation Society and Sabah Parks in 2004 included a section on the possible establishment of no-take zones.

Further discussions on the proposed zoning plan have taken place under the SIDP programme. Two three-day Community Workshops have been held in the Sabah Parks complex in Semporna: the first in June 2005, the second in September 2005 and the third in September 2006. Each was attended by about 25-30 members of the local community, particularly the land owners and those claiming Native Customary Rights.

Three Island Boatshows have also been held, the first in July 2005, the second in October 2005 and the third in February 2006. Each lasted for 4-5 days, and involved visiting all the main villages and as many as possible of the numerous groups of stilt houses on the Sebangkat/Selakan reef top. Feedback questionnaires on management proposals were completed by 102 people during the first Boatshow and 243 during the second. The concepts of Zoning and biodiversity conservation were also illustrated through the SIDP DVD, which was widely shown during the Community Census carried out from May – August 2006.

The Zoning Plan has also been discussed at a two Stakeholder Meetings held at the Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment in February 2006 and September 2006. These meetings were attended by Sabah Parks staff and representatives from government departments and agencies, academic institutions and NGOs.

Four main zones were recommended in the draft Plan. Two of these (Pelagic Use/Buffer Zone and General Use Zone) allow for a variety of sustainable use activities, including fishing, seaweed farming and recreation. The Sanctuary (now renamed Conservation Zone) and Preservation Zones are biodiversity conservation zones where activities such as recreation are allowed under permit, but extractive use of natural resources is not permitted (i.e. they are no-take zones). The Preservation Zone differs from the Sanctuary Zones in being ‘no-entry’, except for essential research. The aim is to keep these small representative areas completely undisturbed to act as a ‘control’ sites. Finally, there is provision for Special Management sub-zones that can be established within one of the main zones for specified purposes determined by the Management Authority in consultation with Stakeholders. The regulations will be fixed on a case-by-case basis according to the purpose for which the zone is established (e.g. protection of a breeding area or environmentally-sensitive location).

The overall zoning concept has been widely accepted by the local community and other stakeholders, including the introduction of the no-take zones, but there are concerns about the loss of valuable traditional fishing grounds and livelihoods. The latest strategy adopted is to keep the zones essentially the same size/location as proposed in the Management Plan, but to introduce them in stages in order to allow the local community and other stakeholders to adjust to the new management strategy.

The stages and implementation procedures will be reviewed at 6-monthly intervals and may be modified by the Management Authority according to need, following consultation with the Board, Local Trustees and Stakeholders: The current timetable is as follows:

Proposed Zoning Scheme for TSMP, to be implemented in stages and fully operational by 2009

	Name of zone	Primary function(s)	Selection criteria	Principal regulations
1	Pelagic use/ buffer zone	Sustainable use	Open water 500m from reef crest or 50m+ water depth	a) Open access. b) Pelagic fishing by local community under permit.
2	General use zone	Sustainable use	Areas of reef and land important for local use	a) Open access. b) Use of living resources by local community under permit.
3	Conservation zone	Conservation of biodiversity. Limited, non-extractive use.	Representative areas of high biodiversity importance.	a) Access with permit. b) No take zone except for stock that has been cultivated or ranched under permit. c) Recreational use under permit.
4	Preservation zone	Preservation of natural state	Sensitive and representative areas of high conservation value.	a) No access expect for limited monitoring under permit.

ACTIVITY MATRIX	Zones
Activities	1	2	3	4
Entry
Construction and development
Fishing and collection of marine resources
Seaweed farming
Mariculture and sea ranching
Hunting of birds and terrestrial animals			*
Cultivation and harvesting of plants and fruits			*
Recreation (land and sea)
Research

Allowed with a permit, which may specify restrictions
Not allowed
Not allowed except in accordance with customary rights	*