Building Stakeholder Support for Marine Protected Area: A case study in the Tun Mustapha Park, Sabah, Malaysia

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a conservation tool used to conserve marine areas and resources. It has various meanings in different places, depending on the objectives and design it was established. The World Conservation... [ view full abstract ]

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a conservation tool used to conserve marine areas and resources. It has various meanings in different places, depending on the objectives and design it was established. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) defined an MPA as “any area of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora and fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment”. The IUCN also established 6 management categories of protected areas that also apply to MPAs. These management categories describe the management mechanism of each category and imply the level of involvement of stakeholders in its management. In recent years there are increasing calls for the participation of stakeholders, especially the local communities, in the establishment and management of MPAs. Participation of stakeholders varies from passive participation where stakeholders have no role in decision-making, to self-mobilization where the decision-making is fully in the hand of the stakeholders. Active participation of stakeholders is important in ensuring future compliance to any decisions made pertaining to the MPA, and subsequently influence the success of an MPA. Strategies to build stakeholder support for MPA include stakeholder consultation, demonstration of benefits, development of alternative livelihoods and continuous communication, education, and awareness activities. This paper describes how these were applied in the establishment of Tun Mustapha Park in the northern part of Sabah, Malaysia, which was gazetted in May 2016.