Collaboration in restoring Sabah mangroves

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KOTA KINABALU: The State Government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) to undertake mangrove rehabilitation activities in Sabah.

State Forestry Director Datuk Sam Mannan, who represented the State Government, said the government has spent over RM6 million to restore 700 hectares of mangroves in the past three years.

He said the MoU would enable the department to utilize the technical skills and advice from ISME with regard to mangrove restoration.

The first phase of the rehabilitation project from 2011 to 2014 will see collaboration between the two parties in site selection and preparation, choice of species to plant, planting costs and techniques, as well as the monitoring of site conditions and tree growth performance of restored mangrove ecosystems.

The project is funded by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co Ltd, a Japanese non-life insurance company founded in 1879.

“Although the overall mangrove site in Sabah is considered relatively big, about 340,000 hectares, we have a small percentage that needs our attention, and this will be our focus,” Sam said.

Tokio Marine Insurance (M) Berhad executive director Iwakuma said Tokio Marine & Nichido had been promoting the mangrove planting project in Asia Pacific region for environmental protection and biodiversity preservation.

“By the end of this March, 6,300 hectares of forests have been planted in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, including ISME.

“Tokio Marine & Nichido considers mangrove forests as the insurance for the future of the earth and hope to continue this project for the next 100 years.”

ISME was established in August 1990 with its headquarters in Okinawa, Japan. The NGO has been conducting its activities at the global level through knowledge application, training and education and information exchange. Membership of the society includes 38 institutional and over 1,000 individual members from 90 countries as of 2009.

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Director of Forestry for Development Fidelis Edwin Bajau, ISME vice president Dr Chan Hung Tuck and its executive secretary Prof Shigeyuki Baba.