These include eco-tourism, mangrove and fisheries, carbon transaction, herbal medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, he said. The forest is more than just a source of timber. We can generate more economic opportunities, particularly based on sustainability, by protecting and conserving our forests, he said when launching the state-level International Forest Day at the State Forestry Department Headquarters in Sandakan on Thursday (April 8). New income sources from forests need to be explored and maximised through R&D activities, Hajiji said, adding that R&D support was crucial for sustainable forest management and ecosystem conservation.
He said the state government s stand on sustainability and conservation was reflected in the five-year Halatuju Sabah Maju Jaya plan that was launched recently.
08 Apr 2021 / 11:41 H. Pix for representational purpose only.
SANDAKAN: There are more than 100,000 hectares of forest reserves in Sabah categorised as degraded areas that can still be restored by replanting trees to restore its function as a platform for the state’s natural ecosystem.
Sabah Chief Forest Conservator Frederick Kugan said so far, about 60,000 of the more than 100,000 hectares of the degraded forests had been restored with tree replanting.
For this year, he said, the State Forestry Department is targeting to do the same for 5,000 hectares of forest reserves.
“These degraded forests are caused by fire or due to unsustainable activities that resulted in the forest area to no longer be able to recover naturally,“ he told Bernama.
Published on: Monday, February 08, 2021
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‘The JCSPO initiative will help the State Government address deforestation in the oil palm supply chain.’ (Pic: Benjamin Drummond)
Kota Kinabalu: As Sabah strives to be a global leader in sustainable palm oil production, the State has embarked on a policy initiative to protect the sector’s resilience as the foundation for Sabah’s economy and sustainable development.
As such, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) said both the Jurisdictional Certification of Sustainable Palm Oil (JCSPO) and the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification had been implemented concurrently within Sabah.
Its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Sophia Lim said the JCSPO initiative will help the State Government address deforestation in the oil palm supply chain by putting in place strategies, policies and measures to safeguard them.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has set up an initiative to ensure the palm oil sector remains the state s key economic driver while also working towards conservation and sustainability.
The initiative will be implemented through the Jurisdictional Certification of Sustainable Palm Oil (JCSPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification in Sabah.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia CEO Sophia Lim said the adoption of the JCSPO initiative would help the state government address deforestation in the palm oil supply chain by putting in place strategies, policies and measures to safeguard the environment. This is a crucial step in positioning Sabah and laying the foundation for the state as the global leader in sustainable palm oil, said Lim, who is also WWF Malaysia executive director.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah s special wildlife enforcement team Protect remains committed to catching poachers despite huge challenges in covering Sabah’s spread out terrains.
Sabah Forestry Department s Chief Conservator of Forests Frederick Kugan said while the 200-member team has had its successes in nabbing wildlife criminals, the task was no less daunting. It is undeniable that our rangers have put the pressure on poachers and illegal loggers, ” Kugan said, adding that the Protect team consisted of 50 forest rangers, of which 25 members were funded by Yayasan Sime Darby under its special two-year RM4mil grant to help combat wildlife crimes in Sabah.