Tourism 2008 Figures Equivocal

Preliminary 2008 Sabah visitor statistics are in. I've added them to my historical graph for ease of reference. Overall, numbers appear to be down around 7% on 2007. However the number of visitors from non-contiguous countries is barely down (less than 2%) and the number of non-Sabahan Malaysian visitors is up for the ninth year in a row: this time by over 7%. The apparent down-turn is actually caused by a big drop (60%) in the number of visitors from Indonesia (the drop in their actual numbers matches the total drop in all visitor numbers to within 1%) and I would be surprised if this represented a significant group of true tourists; given the global economic downturn I am quite surprised that non-Indonesian visitor numbers have not plummeted. Incidentally, the figures for the month of January 2009 appear to reflect this argument in comparison to the month of January 2008 as well (aside from a significant drop in South Korean visitors).

I'm a huge fan of these large soft corals (photographed on 30th August 2008 off Gaya island). I didn't touch them though so I can't confirm if they were from the family CLAVULARIIDAE (if so they would withdraw into tubes) or XENIIDAE (nowhere to hide).

Speedboats and sunsets

Will he be pleased? Photographed off Sapi island on 21st July 2006, Ardeadoris egretta (a Nudibranch from the Family CHROMODORIDIDAE) of course will not be asked. The idea though appears to be that the sea village on Gaya will be 'rearranged' and supplemented by 1,000 houses, government offices, and a fire station... all on Gaya itself. (It reminds me of defunct plans to build a bridge to Gaya ++. Maybe that plan is in danger of being re-floated too?) Here's hoping that my friend and his vast but fragile underwater society won't be so overcome by the benefits of 'development' (like construction silt and waste water), that there's little left to TARP but speedboats and sunsets.

Squeezing Sponges

I can't resist commenting now that we have official opinions about the upcoming impact of the global financial crisis on Sabah's tourism. Yesterday a drop was predicted which seems much more realistic to me. I feel sorry for those who depend on tourism income. Yet I also feel a little bit happier for the denizens of TARP who might just get a little less squeezed by all the attention they have been trying to get used to in recent years.

I've been investing huge amounts of effort reformatting my fish guide mock-up. Undoubtedly no one will now be wanting to invest commercial money in the project in the near future; after all, who would buy it? But as a not-for-profit conservation project a donor might be interested to cover the costs. And if I'm willing to make no profit and still can't get it published then maybe I will post the book in PDF format on-line so people can print their own copies: perhaps on waterproof paper or for laminating if they want to take it under water.

I'm also looking into obtaining photos of previously unseen fish (by me) via other outlets so as to improve the comprehensiveness of the guide. We'll see: they too are likely to be feeling the pinch and may not have much time now to help.

Here's a gorgeous Poripheran (sponge - possibly Family LEUCETTIDAE) which I hope will have a less pressured 2009 (photo taken on 21st July 2006 off Sulug island).

Less tourist pressures or less money for conservation?

I dare not share my opinion about whether or not the increased price of fuel is a blessing for conservation in TARP. But it could have a significant impact in the short term - maybe even long term if long distance travel patterns begin to change singnificantly too. Either way, a government minister this week predicted a reduction in tourism travel to Sabah.

Meanwhile, something lurks in a hole - possibly a coral hermit crab - in its host coral (family FAVIIDAE I think), photographed on 27th October 2007 on Clement's reef.