SIPADAN, Malaysia (5 Sep 2006) -- First the PADI scuba diving companies in Malaysia that polluted Sipadan refused to comply with a government eviction notice. Then they enthusiastically endorsed a scheme to construct toilets on the tiny island even after the toilet construction barge completely wiped out one of Sipadan's renowned coral reefs. Now those same PADI scuba diving companies are flagrantly ignoring a marine park permit system aimed at reducing the impact of tourism on the ravaged island. Welcome to 'sustainable' (sic) scuba diving tourism in Malaysia. Although the government of Malaysia has limited the total number of per-day Sipadan divers to 120, local scuba diving companies have been taking at least double that number. And because the scuba diving companies that take divers to Sipadan refuse to provide divers with boats that have toilet facilities, the tiny environmentally stressed island continues to be exploited as the dive tourism industry's septic tank. Dive Sipadan. Eat lunch on Sipadan and go to the toilet. Dive Sipadan again. Go back to your over-water eco-rape hotel. According to officials of the Sabah Marine Park, in January the average per day number of scuba divers to Sipadan was 141. | | After PADI scuba diving tourism companies were informed that a construction barge had wiped out one of Sipadan's renowned coral reefs, they enthusiastically endorsed a dive industry scheme to continue the project to construct toilets on the island. In February, the total number of per-day divers climbed to 159. After that, local dive operators took an average of 219 divers per day to the island in March, 235 per day in April and 201 per day in May. Despite ongoing efforts by the government of Malaysia to stop the scuba diving industry from destroying Sipadan, more toilets are being built on the tiny island and more divers are illegally entering the marine park thanks to lawless PADI dive resorts that defiantly flout environmental regulations. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
