Report - Jabatan Taman Laut Malaysia - NRE

7.4. Increased sense of ‘ownership’.Communities living in or near the protected area, visitors and other users ofmarine parks will feel a far greater commitment to park managementobjectives and practices if they have the opportunity to be involved inmanaging the resource. E.g. On Tioman Island the villagers who haveundergone enforcement training want faster responses from the DMPM as aresult of their informing about infringements. This indicates an increasedsense of ownership.7.5. The success of protected areas depends on political,key stakeholder and public support with benefitsevident.It is essential to maintain regular communication with all stakeholders ondecisions that affect them, and on the protection and use of the protectedarea. E.g. the expectations have been raised on Tioman Island and althoughthe cooperative establishment is progressing, the local people have notbeen kept informed therefore they think it is not going ahead. On Sibu-Tinggithe benefits of the marine park (been established for 17 years) and theproject are not yet clear as access to resources (fishing) has been removed.However the village leaders also noted that co-operation andcommunication had increased and that effective awareness raising requireslong-term investment.7.6. For effective marine conservation an understanding ofthe need for integrated management of the terrestrialand marine interface is an essential.Awareness training for island management - all government agencies andtourism operators - activities and plans for the islands, must include theimpact of the terrestrial environment on the marine – accordinglyenvironmental management training programmes for resorts and localpeople must address this through concepts such as reduce, reuse, recycleand organic composting. Understanding of the threat created from landbased sources of marine pollution is essential first step for its management.E.g. Siltation from infrastructure developments mitigation can be achievedthrough careful environmental management, through the use of siltationponds, when in such geographic proximity to the marine environment. OnRedang the enzyme treatment of organic waste by one of operators couldbe expanded to others resorts and other locations.7.7. Establishing mechanisms that bring togetherstakeholders can enhance MPA effectiveness throughimproved decision-making and increased legitimacy.E.g. Linking relationships are important between multiple agencies withisland and marine jurisdiction, especially when not all can have an on islandpresence.44