Conservation Issues
TRACC has worked on conservation issues in Borneo for over 16 years. We have visited almost every beach and coral reef, conducted surveys and worked closely with fishers, divers, resort owners and the government.
While we believe that environmental education is very important, the science also needs to be strong so that correct decisions are made by policymakers. TRACC collects data and then uses it to guide policy by awareness and advocacy campaigns.
These are the important issues and briefly what we are trying to do about them.
Shark crisis
Sharks and rays are in serious trouble, numbers locally and globally are falling dramatically. Local populations are extinct, Fisheries regulations are either non existent, insufficient or failing. The global shark survey which we run shows that there are less than 100 places on the planet where sharks can be seen. Many organisations are trying to reverse the trends either nationally or globally. ( learn more about the problem – the value of sharks – shark crisis -
(learn more about what we are doing- advocacy – Campaign objectives - action plans – awareness – protected areas)
Blast Fishing
A rubble field in a national park after 20 years of protection. The grazing pressure and the movement during storms stop baby corals growing.
Blast fishing is widespread in coral reef areas of the world, In Sabah, the incidence has dropped because of improved knowledge, enforcement and economics. It is now worthwhile repairing and replanting some reefs. Blast fishing destroys both the structure of the reef and its biodiversity leaving large rubble fields. The ecosystem is changed and the rubble field does not return back to a coral reef without human assistance.
Cyanide and the Live Fish trade
Live fish restaurants are common in Asia with customers choosing their fish live from a tank. Most of these fish are caught using cyanide which at low concentrations is a fish anesthetic. The big fish targeted by the Live Fish Trade recover from the cyanide for a few weeks but the coral and small fish all die.
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