langkawi magazine
Archives SECTION
Tioman Reef Threatened
In light of the recent controversy in our very own Pulau Tioman over the construction of a yacht marina that will jeopardise centuries-old corals, perhaps we can take a leaf from the Great Barrier Reef's book.
The Australian Productivity Commission has estimated the gross value of the tourism industry in the Great Barrier Reef catchment as A$4.3bil (about RM11bil) with a total employment of some 120,000 people. Yet, this commercial bonanza has been possible only because of Australia's stringent measures to protect the corals as befitting its status as a Unesco World Heritage site.
Tioman was once rated as one of The World's Ten Most Beautiful Islands, as it had that sort of heavenly splendour which made it the shooting site for the film South Pacific in 1958. In recent times, its lush corals and unique forest species have been the subject of numerous documentaries, including those on National Geographic and the Animal Planet channel.
But in the past 10 years, the boom in tourism-related development has already taken its toll on the island's fragile corals. There are already complaints of reefs damaged by pollution and over-commercialisation. How much more can it bear? What is the best development strategy for Tioman's future?
Should it capitalise on (and protect) its strongest natural selling points its magnificent reefs, crystal-clear waters and forest-clad hills? Should it go for the lucrative dive and eco-tourism dollar like the Great Barrier Reef? Follow Pangkor Laut and proudly advertise its pristine 'million-year-old rainforest'? Become an international diving destination like the Maldives and Palau where everything is sold on US Dollar terms?
Or should Tioman try to become another Langkawi? Become a mega-shopping destination for duty-free alcohol, cigarettes and Pyrex? Build a RM40mil yacht marina and a 2km long airport runway over the very corals which attract tourists in the first place?
Which development strategy should it pursue? What is its strongest selling point? Duty-free shopping zones can be created elsewhere at the flick of a legislator's pen. But centuries-old corals, forest and unique species are irreplaceable. Malls can be built anywhere. But we have only one Tioman
Tioman 11/9/2004
