Special briefing on setting up of Luconia Shoals National Park
BINTULU: Over 70 fishermen and other stakeholders here attended a special briefing on the setting up of Luconia Shoals National Park yesterday.
The briefing hosted by Sarawak Forest Department and Sarawak Fisheries Department held at Bintulu Civic Centre from 10am to 12pm was divided into two main sessions with the first on the proposed gazetting of Luconia Shoals National Park conducted by Noraini Johari from Forest Conservation, Sarawak Forest Department.
The second briefing was on the importance of artificial reefballs given by assistant research officer Mohd Sabry Saidin from Sarawak Fisheries Research Institute, Bintawa. The briefing was then followed by questions and answers (Q&A) session.
Sarawak Fisheries Department Region 3 Miri chief Bunyamin Kiprawi when speaking at the opening ceremony said it was important for stakeholders especially local fishermen to be briefed on the issue.
He said a series of briefing has been carried out in Sarawak to inform stakeholders on what they can expect after the Luconia Shoals was gazetted as national park.
Bunyamin added one of the ways to strengthen the Sarawak’s integrity on the area is to gazette it as a national park.
“Thus, to protect and preserve the natural resources in this area, we ( Fisheries Department) and Forest Department are gazetting it
Thus, to protect and preserve the natural resources in this area, we (Fisheries Department) and Forest Department are gazetting it as national park.
as a national park,” he added.
He also disclosed the area has a huge potential to be developed into Sarawak’s eco-tourism destination with its beautiful coral reefs and home to various species of fish.
He said the Fisheries Research Institute has also conducted studies in the area mostly on its coral reefs and at the same time, an annual fishing tournament was also held there.
Meanwhile, Noraini said the briefing was mainly to inform Sarawak Fishing Association about the proposal to set up the Luconia Shoals National Park and the process of claiming rights and privileges.
She added the proposed national park comprised the South Luconia Shoals (Gugusan Beting Patinggi Ali) and North Luconia Shoals (Gugusan Beting Terumbu Raja Jarum) located in the South China Sea inside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Sarawak waters.
“The size is about 1,011,772 hectares and located about 96.1 nautical miles (178km) from Batang Kemena Bintulu and 58 nautical miles (107km) from Kuala Baram Miri,” she said.
According to her, among the reasons for the proclamation are to protect and preserve the marine resources, as the biodiversity research and learning facility, protection of the area and its historic monuments and for tourism.
She said the idea for the proposed park came from the late chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem which was then followed up with two meetings on Oct 17 and Sept 16, 2016.
“It was then gazetted in Sarawak Government Gazette on Sept 14, 2017 under Section 10 of the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998,” she added.
Also present at the briefing were Forest Department Kuching officer Marconi Stephen John and Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority Region 3 Miri officer Norlaili Baharudin.
Bunyamin Kiprawi, Sarawak Fisheries Department Region 3 Miri chief