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The Sulu and Sulawesi Seas are Large
Marine Ecosystems (LME), expanded geographically to include the
Philippines inland seas to form the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion (SSME).It is bordered by the three nations- Malaysia,
Philippines, and Indonesia. Recognised as the epicenter of
global diversity, it is characterized by rich natural resources.
These marine organisms and ecosystems are threatened by various
uses of land and sea that are common throughout the region and
some of these threats extend beyond territorial boundaries.
Thus, the conservation of this biodiverse species and
assemblages require an ecoregional approach.
SSME Programme is a multi-stakeholders
ecoregional based conservation programme initiated and developed
by the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) in collaboration with
various stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the
Philippines. The process to establish the Programme involved
various stages with continuous consultation and participation by
the stakeholders. The final tri-national output during the
planning process was the Ecoregion Stakeholder Conservation
Plan. This Plan is a consolidation of various existing policies,
strategies and plans from the three participating countries.
In Malaysia, the technical preparation
of the Ecoregional Conservation Plan was done with participation
from various implementing agencies, including both Federal and
State Departments and Agencies, mostly from Sabah. The final
stage for the SSME Programme planning process was the
formulation of a Malaysia Stakeholder Conservation Plan in early
2003. By late 2003 this national plan became an intergral part
of the Ecoregion Stakeholder Conservation.
In Febuary, 2004, the 3 participating
countries signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding, thus
formalising the Ecoregion Stakeholder Conservation Plan and the
SSME program and framework for cooperation.
In June, 2004, The Malaysia Government
designated Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, Sabah as
the Malaysian Lead Agency, and the Department of Fisheries,
Sabah to chair the National SSME Committee.
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