Hundreds of marine species are harvested for food or other uses, and these are listed in the following pages. The tables summarise information collected during the marine resource survey carried out by WWF/Sabah Parks in November 1999, and provide an indication of the range of species used, the habitats in which they occur, and the ease with which they can be found.
1.11.1. Marine Flora
Marine algae and a few sea grasses are a
food delicacy for many coastal inhabitants of Sabah. At Semporna, marine
algae such as Euchema, Gracilaria, Caulerpa racemosa
and Caulerpa lentillifera are known to be widely consumed. The
root and fruit of the seagrass Enhalus acoroides is also taken
for food (Suliansa, 2000). These plants grow in the shallow reef area
and are abundant in the Semporna Islands. Euchema farming is widely
practiced in this area because it provides a good income.
1.11.2.
Mammals
Bajau Laut eat dolphins and dugong (Piper, 1981)
although it is not known in what quantity or where the main fishing grounds
are. This practice continues today.
1.11.3. Fish
A total of 132 species from 36 families of common
and commercial fishes were identified during the marine resources survey
(Suliansa, 2000). Table 5 lists the fish species according to family,
fishing method/s and fishing zone/s.
1.11.4.
Shells and other invertebrates
A range of invertebrates are collected within the proposed Semporna Islands Park, with some being more important than others. A total of 59 species from 20 families of gastropod (Table 6) and 24 species from 13 families of bivalve (Table 7) were identified by respondents as occurring in the mangrove, seagrass beds and reefs around the Semporna Islands (Suliansa, 2000). Most of these species are collected by hand. The flesh is generally for personal consumption while the shell is sometimes sold.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that collection of shells has declined over the past few decades presumably due either to a lack of demand or to the difficulty of finding specimens. At the time of the 1980 survey there was a large and active trade in shells, especially by the Bajau Laut based on Pulau Maiga. Shells commonly traded included the edible Strombus luhuanus, Conus marmoreus, various cowries, Tridacna, Nautilus, Harpa articularis, helmet shells and top shells (Piper, 1981). These were purchased by the tin by traders from Sitangkai in the Philippines (about 30 km away) or by Semporna towkays (middlemen). At the time of the 1980 survey, it was reported that the whole moorage on Pulau Maiga could collect 30 tins of Strombus in one month and about 100 Tridacna shells (Piper, 1981).
Sea
cucumbers, sea urchins and crabs (Table 8) are also collected, mostly
for sale (Suliansa, 2000). The sea cucumbers (bat) have the highest economic
value amongst the invertebrates. A total of 12 species of sea cucumbers
from two families were identified. The common cuttlefish and squid caught
in the area are Sepia phaoronish and Sepiotheuthis leiognathus. Although
only small amounts are caught, (0.5-1 kg/day) (Suliansa, 2000).