'Sabah should take lead in restoration of corridors'
Published on: Friday, February 06, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah should take a leadership role by supporting the restoration of the key corridors in order to enhance the State's and country's image in wildlife and biodiversity conservation.Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) Chairman Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said in order to enhance the country's image, all industries need to work together in protecting and rehabilitating some sites."The plantation sector, especially oil palm, was often seen as the main perpetrator of evil by environmentalists.
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"The industry has been blamed as the main reason for the decline of orang-utans and Bornean elephants, including the increase of human-elephant conflict in Borneo."Therefore, the project by Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) to help in conservation programme in Kinabatangan must be commended and emulated by other companies," he said at the signing of an agreement between FGV and BCT on wildlife conservation here, Thursday.Also present during the event were Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, FGV Board of Directors Member Datuk Omar Salim, BCT Honorary Secretary Datuk Laurentius Ambu and FGV Head of Plantation East Malaysia Denys Collin Munang.Dompok said the characteristic vegetation in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplains have decreased by as much as 90 per cent and left a patchy corridor along the main stream of the Kinabatangan river due to past logging activities and forest conversion to agricultural and industrial plantations.
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The remaining natural habitat is highly degraded and defragmented with most of it having been subjected to heavy logging and forest fires."The area is however crucial for biodiversity conservation and is currently the only physical link between the centre forests of the heart of Borneo and the coastal wetlands of the Sulu-Sulawesi area.
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"It is a significant site for biodiversity conservation with important fisheries and watershed areas and forests play a key role in habitat connectivity."The area is also significant for the State eco-tourism industry," he said, adding that despite its importance, unfortunately, large portions of the area have been converted to agriculture, especially oil palm and a continuous high risk of future conversion.Meanwhile, FGV Group President and Chief Executive Officer Dato' Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah said the project reflects FGV's commitment to sustainable practices in business."As a responsible agribusiness company, FGV is committed to best management and sustainability practices. Mega Biodiversity Corridor in Lower Kinabatangan Basin project is, without a doubt, an important and essential sustainability initiative," he said.Mohd Emir said FGV has worked closely with the Wildlife Department, Forestry Department and various NGOs including Borneo Conservation Trust to help conserve the biodiversity of lower Kinabatangan Basin.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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