Datuk Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, has sent Downbelow a letter of support for the Project AWARE Finathon that we will be conducting this Sunday, 4 November.
“I applaud very much the initiative taken by Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures,” Datuk Masidi says in his letter faxed through to our HQ earlier today, “to raise awareness against shark fin products and to highlight the plight of sharks in our oceans.”
He said that his Ministry is strongly advocating for a total ban on shark fishing and shark finning, making Sabah the most shark-conscious state in the entire Malaysia, if not the region.
“Our ocean will be a better place and a haven for all dive lovers,” Datuk Masidi continued.
Diving is one of Sabah’s top tourist attractions and the schools of hammerhead sharks in Layang Layang and the various reef shark species in Sipadan in particular is talked about the world over.
Globally, the sustainable and lucrative activity of shark scuba diving is a major revenue generator, making Datuk Masidi and his Ministry’s stance on shark finning all the more indicative of their progressive, long-term thinking.
Shark finning in its current form is a wasteful, cruel and ultimately unsustainable practice. Laws and enforcement is required now to secure the future of sharks in our oceans.
The weekend’s Finathon is to raise awareness of the plight of sharks, and funds to help Project AWARE fight for legislation on a global scale to save our shark.
This weekend, support with your participation or your wallet, our swimming to end shark finning.
Email us for more information and to find out how you can help make a difference.
