10 held for illegal fishing
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) nabbed 10 men for fishing illegally in waters six nautical miles off the Tioman Marine Park in Endau.
In a routine patrol on Sunday at about 9pm, MMEA officers spotted two suspicious fishing boats.
Kuantan Maritime District 8 operation director Commander Abdul Rahim Ramli said the two boats had encroached on waters near the marine park where fishing is prohibited.
Upon checking, the enforcement officers found 1,050kg of fish. They immediately arrested the crew and seized the boats.
"The boats were towed to the Tanjung Gemuk jetty in Mersing and 10 men, including five foreigners, aged between 24 and 60, were detained to facilitate investigations under section 8(b) of the 1985 Fisheries Act," said Rahim.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency officers inspecting one of the detained boats at Tanjung Gemuk jetty in Mersing.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
居民支持5岛添基建‧丰盛港旅游业待回春
丰盛港是柔佛州內著名的海港，因为能通往刁曼岛和大岛等著名旅游景点，每逢假日就有热闹景象。然而，由於“几十年如一日”，发展步调的缓慢，近几年来路过该地的游客人数，已不如从前。
盛港的交通圈“数十年如一日”，没有太大改善，车流量多容易造成塞车。（图：星洲日报）
丰盛港一些商家接受星洲日报的询问时透露，近年来，由於政府疏於发展，许多码头及海岛的设施陈旧不堪，近年来频频传出沉船或浮潜不当导致人命伤亡事故，加上依斯干达特区同时在发展旅游项目，迫使游客减少海岛旅游。
在丰盛港被列入东海岸经济发展特区（ECER）后，当局已提供2千万令吉给丰盛港县的5个岛屿，作为基础建设用途。
当地居民对此持正面看法，也建议政府应积极改善交通和提昇治安，以吸引更多游客前来。
郑松章：重规划交通最重要
丰盛港潮州会馆总务郑松章指出，丰盛港要成为旅游景点，首先要把当地的交通重新规划，特別是市区中央的交通圈，数十年来都没有改变，只要车流量高就会造成塞车现象。
他表示，通往兴楼方向的那段桥也必须扩建，那是丰盛港前往兴楼及阿逸巴板唯一的通道；此外，一些较为陈旧的建筑物也有必要进行翻新。
他说，码头的提昇很重要，丰盛港需要一个深水码头的问题已经多年未曾解决，政府至少也要先设置浮台，让游客上下船更加方便及安全。
呼注重兴楼发展
“除了提昇丰盛港，我呼吁政府同时能注重兴楼的发展，因为兴楼的海港可说是州內最大的渔业港口，製作並外销许多渔產品，是兴楼人的经济命脉。”
他希望丰盛港成为旅游港口，而兴楼成为海產港口，各司其职，让丰盛港县逐渐追上其他县属的发展，不再是最落后的一州。
何君秋：公共设施须要改善
当地一家饭店东主何君秋（65岁）透露，近年来发生不少沉船及浮潜不当导致人命伤亡事故，影响游客对海岛旅游產生却步心理。特別是家庭式的游客，转向柔南及新加坡的旅游设施如乐高乐园或环球影城等。
他指出，要提昇海岛旅游，一定要改善公共设施如卫生间及淋浴间很多游客在海岛玩水后，没有公共卫生间可以淋浴。就连丰盛港沿岸的阿逸巴板也没有类似的设施，游客只能使用私人建造的並另外付钱。
他说，治安及医疗设备也是相当重要，还有警方必须严厉打击黄牛船票，让游客更加安心旅游。
他表示，近6年来自己经营的旅馆生意量，比起之前至少下跌了20%。
他呼吁当局积极提昇基础设施，改善当地的旅游业。
冯永顺：食物口味应多元化
一家海鲜饭店东主冯永顺（54岁）透露，十多年前游客还是很多，但由於丰盛港內没有可以逗留景点，游客就逐渐减少。
他说，本来他的店是有海鲜煮炒，不过近年来已不再提供，改为出租摊位的方式，营业时间也只到下午。
他指出，海岛的天然景色虽漂亮，但食物方面不能只有辛辣的食物，因为一些外国游客可能无法习惯。
对於丰盛港的发展，他持乐观態度，希望真的能带动游客的人潮，让餐馆的生意更好。
吴运兴：设指示牌方便游客
福顺庙庙主吴运兴（72岁）表示，该庙就为於交通圈的旁边，曾经修改过好几次，但也没有太大的改善。所幸驾驶者都安份守己，没有发生过严重车祸。
他说，丰盛港要被发展成旅游区是好事，只是最好能改善交通，因为週末假日、公共假期和穆斯林祈祷日都会有塞车现象。
“交通圈本来要改为以交通灯的方式，不知为何到最后不了了之。另外我建议当局在路上设置指示牌，让游客更容易辨识方向。”
2千万提昇5岛屿基设
据报导，柔佛州旅游、商贸及消费事务委员会主席拿督郑修强曾透露，东海岸经济发展特区拨出的2千万令吉的款项，主要为5个岛建设及提昇基本设施，如电灯、行人道及医药设备等。其中，1千万令吉的款项將投入大岛，其中400万令吉的款项將用作建造一座水族馆；另外1千610万令吉，则分別在大岛、诗布岛和澳岛（Pulau Aur）建造3座具现代化和安全的码头，並已在去年完工。
（星洲日报‧大柔佛）
Litterbugs make a mess of Air Papan
Even
though rubbish bins have been provided by the Mersing District
Council and Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation
(PPSPPA), some irresponsible people are throwing rubbish
indiscriminately at tourist attractions in the district.
These
include the once pristine Air Papan beach. It is in danger of losing
its reputation as rubbish is strewn all over the place by inconsiderate
visitors.
Air
Papan recorded more than half a million visitors last year. It is
known for its natural splendour and jungle trekking activities. Every
May 1, a festival called Pesta Air Papan is held here with cultural
shows and traditional games, and local delicacies.
Many
homestays and chalets have mushroomed along Pantai Gorek beach,
Penyambung and Tanjung Resang to cater to the increasing number of
visitors but there is a lot of rubbish along the main roads. A
villager, who declined to be named, said the authorities should step up
enforcement and slap heavier penalties on those who litter as a
deterrent. The villager, who sells bottled drinking water and titbits
to visitors, said he often saw locals, especially youngsters, throw
food wrappers on the beach even though a rubbish bin was in sight.
He said picnickers also threw leftovers into the sea and these were washed ashore later.
He said he had also seen rubbish such as food and baby’s diapers being thrown out of the windows of moving vehicles.
Intan
Nur Jannah Mat Rawi, a 25-year-old visitor, said locals continued to
have a couldn’ care less attitude despite countless nationwide
awareness campaigns against littering.
“Foreigners
often carry rubbish bags and ensure that they put their rubbish into
these bags and take them along when they leave, while locals just
litter everywhere. “When they are told to pick up their rubbish, some
of them become violent and asked us to mind our own business,” she
said.
Air
Papan village security and development committee chairman Mohd Asri
Jaafar said he was ashamed of the attitudes of several chalet operators
who contributed to the problem by throwing rubbish by the roadside.
He said it was embarrassing to see visitors, especially foreigners, pinching their noses because of the foul smell.
He
said some visitors took pictures of the rubbish and uploaded it on
their Facebook pages and blogs, and criticised the authorities for not
taking the appropriate measures.
PPSPPA
director Asri Amat said: “We have distributed free wheelie bins, or
rubbish bins fitted with wheels for easy disposal, with a capacity of
1,100 litters in Air Papan. “There are also compactor rubbish trucks
that pick up rubbish six times a week and cleaners who sweep the roads
and clean the area. We have invested our resources to provide a
strategic and effective disposal service. All that is needed here is for
the people to change their attitude and dispose of their rubbish into
bins.”
Air Papan recorded more than half a million visitors last year.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
