14 September 2005.
It was spreaded in the news on national television that Pulau Payar, Langkawi's marine park is now facing a dangerous ecological problems as more and more tourists are visiting the beautiful place without giving respect to the nature.
In view of this, The State Government has set up a committee to study the ecological system at the
Pulau Payar marine park. The committee is chaired by state secretary Datuk Syed Unan Mashri Syed Abdullah and it's main function is to ensure that the island would maintain its natural beautiful surroundings and attractions.
A study by a consultant has been carried out and the State Government will be taking actions based on recommendations in the report to be submitted to the committee in two weeks.
They're also considering to limit the number of tourists that are allowed on Pulau Payar so as to minimise disturbances to the natural surroundings at the island. Currently, they're about 600 to 700 tourists visited Pulau Payar daily.
As the numbers of visitors to the island is not restricted, the Government is planning to reduce the number of visitors to 400 so that the lovely island is not too crowded with too many people at the same time.
If you're planning to visit Pulau Payar and enjoy the amazing marine eco-system, please give your respect to the nature. They're many tourist that showed their lack of nature respect by throwing rubbish all over the places. Plastic bags, newspapers, plastic bottles and cans were seen floating around at the island.
I'm begging you to do your part before the Government consider closing the enchanted marine park forever. It'll be a total loss to all of us if it does happens.
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Tour operators unhappy over plan to close park
Tour operators here are objecting the state government’s proposal to close Pulau Payar Marine Park to visitors for four months in a year. East Marine Holidays Sdn Bhd director Danny Lim said it was economically not viable and scientifically insignificant to close the park for such short period in the name of conservation.
"It would take 40 years to rejuvenate the corals. It is not going to make any significant change in terms of conservation if the park is closed only for four months.It will only affect tour operators’ livelihood. Also, the visitors are not the ones spoiling the precious ecosystem," he said, adding that the floating garbage originated from river and coastal settlements.
Acting Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mahdzir Khalid recently announced that access to the marine park would be closed for four months in a year to protect the marine ecosystem.
Lim, who started the tour business in Langkawi 13 years ago, said
Pulau Payar had been his playground for more than 30 years.
"I have seen the changes taking shape in and around the island over the decades as this is my favourite diving spot.
And I can vouch that Pulau Payar is much better now compared to 20 years ago as far as marine life is concerned.
Thanks to the strict enforcement by the Marine Park officers, the fish population has been growing steadily.
Without such stringent enforcement, the marine resources here would be depleting by now," he said.
"Visitors only come to the island for four hours. They are not the ones polluting the island," he said, adding that about 10,000 people visited Pulau Payar every month.
Pulau Payar recorded 1,373 visitors in 1988; 70,149 in 1995 and 135,275 last year.
Tourism Malaysia Kedah/Perlis director Ammar Abd Ghapar said the tour operators were unhappy over the authorities’ plan to periodically close the access to the marine park.
The Star - November 15, 2005
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