Tun Sakaran Marine Park
Encyclopedia
Tun Sakaran Marine Park, also known as Semporna Islands Park, is a marine park located off the east coast of the state of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

 in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

. It consists of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s of Bodgaya
Bodgaya Island
Bodgaya Island is located on the east coast of the state of Sabah in Malaysia. The island is the largest island in and forms part of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park just off the town of Semporna. The island has an area of 7.96 km2. Bodgaya together with Boheydulang Island and surrounding reefs are...

, Boheydulang, Sebangkat, and Selakan, the sand cay
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...

s of Maiga, Sibuan, and Mantabuan, and the patch reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s of Church and Kapikan. In 2004, the park became the seventh gazetted area under Sabah Parks
Sabah Parks
Sabah Parks is a conservation-based statutory body established in 1962 with the purpose of conserving the scenic, scientific and historic heritage of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The organisation is also responsible for the management and promotion of the various protected...

 with a total area of 100.8 km². There are approximately 2,000 people living within the park.

History

Bodgaya was first gazetted in 1933 as a forest reserve, while Boheydulang as a bird sanctuary. Proposals to establish a state park was first made in 1977. Later in 1998, a collaboration, known as the Semporna Islands Project, between the Marine Conservation Society
Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society a UK charity for the protection of the seas around the United Kingdom, and for the protection of their shores and wildlife.According to their website MCS's Vision is:Their website also states:...

 (MCS), Sabah Parks
Sabah Parks
Sabah Parks is a conservation-based statutory body established in 1962 with the purpose of conserving the scenic, scientific and historic heritage of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The organisation is also responsible for the management and promotion of the various protected...

, WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...

 Malaysia and Nature Link took place. It was funded by the European Community under its global environment budget line. Finally in 2004 the islands were gazetted as a national park by Sabah Parks.

External links

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