KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called on its members and partners to boycott restaurants offering shark fins in their menus.
Its inbound vice president, Datuk Tan Kok Liang, said banning of shark hunting and killing is under the purview of the Federal Government but the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister did not wish to impose such a ban, even if it is for Sabah only.
“Shark population in Sabah had declined by 80 percent over the past three decades and they are rarer in waters off Peninsular Malaysia. The remaining sharks found in Sabah attracted over 55,000 divers last year, pumping RM323 million to the local economy but this annual revenue will be wiped out once the sharks are further depleted,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Tan said European Union countries had already prohibited shark finning since 2003 and they were joined by another 27 nations by 2013.
“Many tourists are environmental conscious and promoting ecotourism would backfire if we continue to allow our sharks to be slaughtered.
“But the ban on shark hunting and killing will continue to be delayed as long as the hunters are accorded greater priority than this magnificent fish species, which play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature in our marine ecosystems,” he pointed out.
As such, he said MATTA is adopting a second prong approach by calling for a boycott of establishments serving shark fins. The slogan – When the buying stops, the killing can too, is just as applicable here as in other conservation efforts.
“Shark fins consumption had no longer been in vogue for some time and leading hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, JW Marriott, Le Meridien, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Waldorf Astoria and Westin do not serve it.
“But in a recent report by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, a shocking 98 percent of the 375 restaurants surveyed continue to choose money over environmentally friendly practices. If voluntary efforts are ineffective, tourism authorities could compile a list of restaurants that serve shark fins so that tourists could boycott them altogether, and not just the dish,” said Tan.
He added a strategic campaign to raise awareness and educate restaurant operators, locals and tourists would have a rippling effect across society, and ensure that such noble conservation efforts are sustainable. A simple competition to pick the best slogan for not eating shark fins would generate much interest and publicity, and those enterprising could make a killing selling T-shirts with meaningful slogans.
“The drop of demand will force fishermen to look for more sustainable catch or perhaps pool their resources to build kelongs as many marine fishes sold in the markets are farmed. These kelongs can also be turned into tourist attractions for day trippers and overnight visitors, ” said Tan.
“If a nationwide prohibition is not practical, the least the Federal Government could do is to introduce it to the states that call for a ban, starting with Sabah. Tourism is the lifeblood of the state and the fact that it earned RM6.4 billion last year did not come by chance but as a result of great foresight by banning logging 15 years ago,” he said.
Tan said since 2011, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun had been urging the Federal Government to ban shark hunting and killing but to no avail.
“The widespread desecration of our natural resources in Peninsular Malaysia will continue in Sabah and Sarawak unless the ministry is helmed by someone who is more environmental conscious.
“We need to be more caring and shark finning is cruel. As for the tourism industry, it is no different from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs,” said Tan.