Malaysian Government Fears Impact Of Tourism On Marine Life
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www.nst.com The local government has raised fears that Pulau Raya, which is located off the coast of Langkawi Island and a major marine park site, is slowly being damaged due to the overwhelming presence of tourists and lack of proper environmental management.
"Much of the coral on Pulau Paya as been damaged due to neglect and lack of proper management," said Irshad Mubarak, spokesperson for the Langkawi Malaysian Nature Society.
"The beaches are overcrowded with divers who step on the coral.
"Diving operators are only thinking about profits and filling up their boats."
A resort on the island consisting of 14 chalets, which has been abandoned since 2002, has prompted the local government to conduct an immediate study on the health of the island's natural environment and retaining its viability as a diving spot.
"We have now engaged the services of a consultant to assess the ecological stability of the island, including studying the impact of tourism on its marine life," Mahdzir Khalid, acting chief minister, said.
"I am very sad and worried over the state of the environment at the island," he added. "I will visit the island to get a clearer picture of the situation."
"We need a proper study done on the impact of tourism on the island. It's possible some of the problems on the island have been caused by tourists," acting Chief Minister Khalid said.
The local government said it is looking at reducing the number of visitors to the island to about 400 from the present 600 to 700 allowed at any one time on the island.
A preliminary report is expected within two weeks.
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World Islamic Tourism Mart / Malaysia
WITM 2012 InCoMTHU Conference will feature quality and world renown speakers not only from Malaysia but from around the globe. In its 6th Year, the WITM InCoMTHU Conference 2012 will have speakers fro (16/05/2012)
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