Marine Park to Develop Country's Eco-Tourism
MUARA, 19 August 2007,
Sunday - The establishment of a marine park could develop Brunei
Darussalam's fisheries eco-tourism. The project, which is currently in
the pipeline, has the potential to generate as much as $27 million per
year.
This observation was made
by Pg Hjh Mariana bte Pg Dipa Negara Laila Diraja Pg Hj Abdul Momin, the
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary
Resources, during the prize-presentation ceremony for the 2007 Sport
Fishing Competition at Water Sport Complex in Serasa last weekend.
The Ministry of Industry
and Primary Resources is actively taking steps to develop the domestic
tourism sector, as it has the potential to contribute towards the
nation's economy, she said.
One of the programmes is
the Kenali Negara Kitani (KNK) campaign, which encourages all levels of
the community to explore the "uniqueness" of Brunei Darussalam by taking
part in sports and leisure activities in the country during the
holidays, she added.
Citing the findings of a
study conducted by the Fisheries Department, Pg Hjh Mariana said that
there are beautiful coral reefs in Brunei's waters.
"The biodiversity of the
marine life is our national heritage that needs to be protected for the
future generation," she said.
Pg Hjh Mariana also
congratulated the Fisheries Department and Dalplus Technologies over the
success of the fishing tournament.
She said that such efforts
should be encouraged, as strategic partnerships between the government
and private sector are the engine of growth for national development.
Meanwhile, the Director of
Fisheries, Dyg Hjh Hasnah bte Ibrahim, said the hobby has been gaining
popularity in Brunei, as there had been an increase in the number of
sports fishing licences issued to the public. Some 250 licences were
issued in 2006 compared to just 174 in 2004.
She encouraged more private
companies to get involved in promoting such activities that could
contribute towards the development of eco-tourism sectors in the
country.
- Courtesy of Borneo
Bulletin -
