KOTA KINABALU: The laughter of some 100
children and their parents were among the distinctive “music” which could be
heard during the annual Regatta Lepa water festival in Sabah’s east coast
Semporna district.
The children and their parents were
seen working together to solve puzzles and playing other games regarding
environment protection in conjunction with the water festival.
Organised mainly by the World Wild
Fund for Nature Malaysia – WWF Malaysia – the event held from April 26 – 28 not
only allowed participating children to enjoy the games and activities but also
learn more about conservation.
Together with volunteers from Green
Semporna, the national conservation organisation engaged the children in
activities including “Ninja Sea Turtles” that showcased the lifecycle of sea
turtles, a matching game to identify terrestrial and marine creatures according
to their environment.
“It is important for the local
community, particularly children to understand marine life specifically coral
reef and turtles,” she said.
Jumin said sustainable development
and protection of natural treasures in Semporna is crucial as the area features
the largest coral reef concentration in Malaysia, which is a valuable resource
for fisheries and tourism.
“The dependency of Malaysia on
fisheries and other coral reef resources has increased over time.
“However, 97% of reefs in Malaysia
are under threats of over fishing including destructive fishing, land-based
pollution and unsustainable tourism development,” she added.
Jumin said statistics from the
tourism ministry showed that there was over 2.88 million tourist arrival to
Sabah in 2012.
“This shows the value of tourism as a
key income resource as well as highlights the need to focus on sustainable tourism
and environmental conservation,” she explained.
The annual Regatta Lepa is held to
celebrate the heritage and culture of the people in Semporna, especially the
Bajau Laut (or sea gypsies).
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