MARKET DEVELOPMENT
'Education Key to Conservation'
'Education Key to Conservation'
31/05/2014 (New Straits Times) - The most challenging task in carrying out wildlife conservation in oil palm plantations are when human settlements are present in the conservation area.
There are six longhouses in the Sawai forests, Suai, which is right at the boundary between the Miri and Bintulu divisions. To the people living there, hunting is a part of their culture, and to stop them from doing so was not an easy task.
Wilmar International Limited's general manager for group sustainability Simon Siburat said it took years to educate villagers of the importance of protecting endangered species in their surrounding areas and the value inherent in their local ecology.
"We have 1,500ha of conservation land within our plantations.
"We have recorded the presence of clouded leopards, Orang Utan, civet otters, proboscis monkeys and other animal species.
"Through years of educating the local communities, we are proud to say that some of the longhouse residents are now part of our wildlife ranger programme.
"These rangers are empowered with full police authority to undertake daily patrols targeting illegal logging and hunting in the area," said Simon.
He said the corporation recognised the importance of environmental management and hoped to protect the wildlife within their plantations.
In Malaysia, Wilmar International Limited's conservation areas cover about 7,000ha of land, with 1,500ha in Sarawak.
Yesterday, the corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in matters relating to wildlife conservation and environmental management to ensure sustainable development of oil palm plantation at the campus here.
Simon represented the corporation, while Unimas was represented by its vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi.
Kadim said Sarawak has close to 1.2 million hectares of oil palm plantation, amounting to 24 per cent of the total plantation area in Malaysia. It produced three million tons of crude palm oil last year.
"The expansion of the plantations to meet the global demand for vegetable oil should not happen at the expense of forest, wildlife and communities," he said.
Kadim said oil palm growers and plantations need to play an increasingly more important role in sustainable development by being environmentally responsible and promoting biodiversity.
Last year, the Malaysian oil palm industry registered RM60 billion in oil palm exports.
There are six longhouses in the Sawai forests, Suai, which is right at the boundary between the Miri and Bintulu divisions. To the people living there, hunting is a part of their culture, and to stop them from doing so was not an easy task.
Wilmar International Limited's general manager for group sustainability Simon Siburat said it took years to educate villagers of the importance of protecting endangered species in their surrounding areas and the value inherent in their local ecology.
"We have 1,500ha of conservation land within our plantations.
"We have recorded the presence of clouded leopards, Orang Utan, civet otters, proboscis monkeys and other animal species.
"Through years of educating the local communities, we are proud to say that some of the longhouse residents are now part of our wildlife ranger programme.
"These rangers are empowered with full police authority to undertake daily patrols targeting illegal logging and hunting in the area," said Simon.
He said the corporation recognised the importance of environmental management and hoped to protect the wildlife within their plantations.
In Malaysia, Wilmar International Limited's conservation areas cover about 7,000ha of land, with 1,500ha in Sarawak.
Yesterday, the corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in matters relating to wildlife conservation and environmental management to ensure sustainable development of oil palm plantation at the campus here.
Simon represented the corporation, while Unimas was represented by its vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi.
Kadim said Sarawak has close to 1.2 million hectares of oil palm plantation, amounting to 24 per cent of the total plantation area in Malaysia. It produced three million tons of crude palm oil last year.
"The expansion of the plantations to meet the global demand for vegetable oil should not happen at the expense of forest, wildlife and communities," he said.
Kadim said oil palm growers and plantations need to play an increasingly more important role in sustainable development by being environmentally responsible and promoting biodiversity.
Last year, the Malaysian oil palm industry registered RM60 billion in oil palm exports.