History of conservation - Semporna Islands Darwin Project 2005

History of conservation

The Bodgaya Islands were originally noted for their terrestrial features. Pulau Bodgaya was gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1933 and Pulau Boheydulang as a Bird Sanctuary. The importance of the coral reefs was first recognised in the 1970s, and a proposal for a State Park to be established in the area was made in 1977. This proposal included the central islands and some of the reefs, but excluded areas of open water. Protected status as Forest Reserve and Bird Sanctuary were revoked in 1977 and 1978 respectively, as a preliminary to the establishment of the Park. However, the 1977 proposal was deferred due to numerous claims for land compensation that could not be met.

Another proposal for a marine protected area (MPA) was made in 1992, but this also failed due to the concerns of local people about possible exclusion from the islands and loss of fishing rights. In 1998, a 3-year programme, the Semporna Islands Project (SIP) was launched to try and find a solution to these problems.

Particular emphasis was placed on involving local people and other stakeholders, and demonstrating the potential benefits of taking positive action to promote conservation and resource management. A new Marine Park proposal and draft Management Plan were completed, and in 2004, the Sabah Government gazetted the area as the ‘ Tun Sakaran Marine Park ’ (TSMP).

The TSMP presents a new challenge because it is the first marine protected area in Malaysia where local people live within the park boundaries, use the resources and own some of the land. This calls for a different and collaborative approach to management if the objectives for the site are to be achieved. The other main challenge is to tackle the legacy of many years of unregulated, and in some cases, destructive fishing and to encourage alternative livelihoods which take pressure off the reefs.

In the next phase of the programme, MCS and Sabah Parks developed and worked together on a programme called Community Action for Sustainable Use and Conservation of Coral Reefs, which ran from 2005-2008. This was known as the Semporna Islands Darwin Project, acknowledging the link with the previous project, and the initiative through which the new programme was funded. The project focussed in particular on developing a zoning plan for the Park together with strategies for protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of natural resources.

The current two-year programme (2009-2011) is entitled Capacity building to enhance Marine Protected Area effectiveness, and is again funded through the Darwin Initiative. Its main objectives are to increase public understanding and support for the Park, enhance biodiversity knowledge and skills within Sabah Parks in relation to biodiversity and provide local communities with increased opportunities to engage in alternative livelihoods.

email:: info@sempornaislandsproject.com

Designed and compiled by Eliz abeth Wood & Andy Davies

URL http://www.sempornaislandsproject.com