Published on: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 |
Kuala Lumpur: State governments have been told to gazette mangrove forests as forest reserves immediately.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Adenan Satem said the Federal Government discourages the opening up of land in existing mangrove forests.
"Mangrove forests with State land status covering 128,257ha should be gazetted as forest reserves immediately," he said in a statement issued here Monday.
Adenan said as at the end of last year, mangrove forests in the country cover 564,971ha with 97,882ha in Peninsular Malaysia, 340,689ha in Sabah and 126,400ha in Sarawak.
He said of the total area, 436,714ha had been gazetted as forest reserves while the remaining 128,257ha are still under State land status.
Adenan called on State Forestry Departments to intensify efforts to protect the coastal areas by growing mangroves and suitable plants and shrubs in the shore mud and swamps.
This measure is essential especially in states which have not done so.
"An inventory will be conducted immediately to determine areas that need to be protected and replanted," he said.
He, however, did not disclose the states which have not done so but stressed on the cooperation and involvement of the various parties especially state governments, landowners, the local community and non-governmental organisations.
Mangrove swamps represent an ecosystem found along the estuary of rivers and muddy shores, serving as habitat for various species of flora and fauna.
It also acts to mitigate tidal waves, to curb coastal erosion and to prevent environmental pollution. Among the main species of mangroves are rhizophora mucronata, rhizophora apiculata, bruguiera parviflora, bruguiera cylindrica, xylocarpus granatum and ceriops tagal.
Meanwhile, in Shah Alam, the Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary, Sazmi Miah, said the Ministry would implement three programmes to protect and conserve the environment this year.
He said they were planting of mangroves, upkeeping of rivers and conducting a "one citizen, one tree" campaign.
The Forestry Department would replant mangroves in areas devastated by the tsunami in the near future, he told reporters after launching F&N Coca Cola (M) Sdn Bhd's Okara fertilser, made from recycled soya dregs, on behalf of the Minister.
Sazmi said the planting and conservation of mangroves were in line with the Prime Minister's call to ensure development projects do not destroy mangrove forests.
For rivers, he said the Ministry would propose for factories and houses to be constructed with their fronts facing rivers so that there would be less discharge of effluents and rubbish into them.
Under the "one citizen, one tree" campaign, he expected 25 million trees to be planted in the country by next year.
In Seremban, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the State Government aims to ensure that mangrove forests, especially those around Lukut and Kuala Linggi were conserved for future generations.
"If possible, we don't want to disturb these mangrove forests as we want them to be a heritage for future generations. Negeri Sembilan is among the states which still has mangrove forests," he told reporters at his office Monday.
He was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi call to preserve mangrove forests, including in areas to be developed to avoid widespread loss of lives and damage in coastal areas in the event of natural disasters as in the case of the recent tsunami tragedy.
He said mangrove forests especially the one in Tanjung Tuan in Port Dickson provided many benefits, as being a stop in the transmigration of birds, it attracted many visitors.
However, he said, projects at mangrove forests already alienated for development would be continued. "We are not saying there can be no development at all as the needs of the locality must also be considered. There is a way, not all mangroves will be destroyed in place of projects.
"We can't prevent development in the places concerned but it has to be balanced. We can fell the trees for timber but it must be in a controlled way and at the same time replanting must be done," he said.
Supporting the Prime Minister's call on the matter, he said the State would be more careful in developing mangroves in future.-Bernama
