“What I want to do is show my family, the beautiful things to see underwater, so they can appreciate them, and how the conservation work would make their lives easier. Now I only tell the stories, when I can take them for a dive its better that they can see themselves.”
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Gon & Lark: Did you know about the work TRACC is doing
before you started working at TRACC.
Palten: Before I started working here I did not know about
TRACC. I only knew Miti (another TRACC staff from Kalapuan). When Miti paid me
to make the bottle reef I asked Miti what it was used for. Miti said only to
throw it the sea. I was curious about why. At that time I only did what Miti
told me to do because of the money. When Miti told me about throwing the bottle
reef in the sea I wondered what would happen after with the bottle reefs.
G & L: Now do you know why TRACC puts out the bottle
reefs?
P: To effect the fish and because it is beautiful, and with
more corals there will be more fish. Because we have planted all the corals
there, the fish will have a place to sleep. If it’s just sand the fish will
have no place to hide.
G & L: Since working at TRACC How has your view on the
ocean and Marine Conservation changed? What have you learned since starting
work at TRACC?
P: My view of the sea has changed after doing the
conservation work because the people I dive with love the ocean and it’s life.
Now, I also have the same view. I love the fish; some of them are so cute. Some
people that dive with me, show me really beautiful things that I can see
underwater and now I am really interested. I have seen most of them before, but
I didn’t care before. Now I appreciate them. The more I see them the more
interested I am. Before there were a lot of beautiful things, now I see something
that is more beautiful and there are always new beautiful things every time I
go diving.
G & L: Why do you think it is important to conserve the
marine ecosystem?
There are many beautiful things in the ocean and many fish,
this means we can fish them. Without the fish there is no food.
G & L: How would you spread the message of conservation
to your family, the village of Kalapuan and the wider Bajau community?
P: I want to take my family diving to show them the
beautiful things in the ocean.
G & L: What are your plans for the future?
P: If possible I want to be a Divemaster. To be a Divemaster
at TRACC would be good. What I want to
do is show my family, the beautiful things to see underwater, so they can
appreciate them, and how the conservation work would make their lives easier. Now I only tell the stories, when I can take
them for a dive its better that they can see themselves.
G & L: If you were not working for TRACC do you think
you would go back to blast fishing?
P: If life becomes really hard, I will do whatever I can to
support my family. Even bomb fishing. But since I started working at TRACC I do
not want to be a fisherman again.
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If you want to help with any marine conservation activity, please
check our website http://tracc.org or e-mail info@tracc-borneo.org
For more updates on TRACC check out our Facebook, Twitter or Google +
If you want to help with any marine conservation activity, please
check our website http://tracc.org or e-mail info@tracc-borneo.org
For more updates on TRACC check out our Facebook, Twitter or Google +
Reef conservation would not be possible without generous financial support from
GEF /SGP for Malaysia who are helping our community activities and coralreefcare.com who generously provided materials to build the new reefs.
If visits to Tracc are not possible then please help with financial support and follow their projects on Facebook.