Sipadan Nominated as Wonder of Nature, Divers Threaten to Boycott Over Finning

First, Sipadan gets nominated to be on the Internet list of seven wonders of nature in the world.

Sabah's famous island was one of the 261 nominees in the New7Wonders of Nature online campaign, aimed to celebrate the most extraordinary sites worldwide.

Other nominees include Ko Phi Phi Island, Maldives, the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Niagara Falls and the Great Barrier Reef.

Sabah Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, who was surprised with the news, said the nomination was an honour for the country.

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Now, divers are threatening to boycott Sabah over its disgusting shark finning practices.

Sipadan conjures up an image of a serene, protected underwater world -- one of the world's top dive spots.

But just a half-hour boat ride away off Pulau Mabul, the blood of magnificent sharks, crudely finned and gutted by the boatload stains the sea red.

Shark finning has been going on here for several years, and the stark contrast between Sipadan and Mabul has caused an uproar in the international diving community, with some threatening to boycott Sabah entirely.

Finning is the inhumane practice of hacking off the shark's fins and throwing its still living body back into the sea.

A diver said: "Why should we contribute to the decline of a beautiful area by supporting a place which does not protect its own resources?
"We strongly urge the resorts to lobby Sabah Parks to prohibit shark finning in the Ligitan island group area.

"If the area is not protected, we will choose to dive in other areas of Southeast Asia where the marine life is protected with the money collected," the diver said.

Fisheries Department director Rayner Stuel Galid said shark finning was not illegal in Sabah.

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