Christina Tan, The Star 7 May 09;
SHAH ALAM: The entire firefly population in Kampung Kuantan and Kampung Bukit Belimbing in Kuala Selangor is facing wipe-out in six months.
“All the fireflies there will be gone for good by the end of this year if no measures are taken to protect them,” said Selangor Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment Committee chairman Elizabeth Wong.
The Selangor Government had issued a stop-work order for all activities in firefly sanctuaries along Sungai Selangor yesterday, she said.
She said the decline of the firefly colonies in the two popular tourist spots was at a very serious stage, with half of them already disappeared.
“We have identified seven critical areas in the two villages where the firefly colonies in four spots are already gone,” she said after the weekly exco meeting here yesterday.
Last month, The Star reported that the days of firefly watching would be over because of land clearing which has damaged the habitat.
Wong said that massive cutting of trees and improper development along the river were the main reasons the fireflies were dying.
Furthermore, some areas along the river bank had been turned into oil palm plantations, she said, adding that there were also factories and restaurants operating too close to the river.
“A total of 38ha of land along the river has also been cleared,” she added.
Wong said the fireflies, whose lifespan is only three months, could not survive in such an environment where there was only polluted water.
She also said that there was no river reserve along the river and part of the land had been sold to individuals.
The state government, she said, would gazette the land along the 20km river into a buffer zone.
It had also identified 52 landowners along the river and would take over the land from them as soon as possible, she said.
Wong said that the state government would also start to replant trees such as sagu, berembang, nipah and rembau immediately to rebuild the habitat of the fireflies at the critical areas.
The state government was establishing a fund to get the private and public sectors involved in preserving the firefly sanctuaries.
Fears of 'lights out' for fireflies in Malaysia
M. Jegathesan Yahoo News 7 May 09;
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – A dazzling firefly population that is one of Malaysia's top tourist attractions faces destruction within months because of large-scale land clearing, a lawmaker warned Thursday.
"If we do not do anything, the lights will go out for the fireflies by the end of the year," said Elizabeth Wong, who heads tourism and environmental affairs in the state of Selangor, which surrounds Malaysia's capital.
Wong said environmental groups had alerted the state government to the "impending destruction" of the riverside firefly colony, which lies about 90 minutes' drive from Kuala Lumpur.
Tourists flock to the area to watch the fireflies, which cluster in riverside trees and produce a magical light display as males and females communicate.
Tour operators say the number of insects has fallen sharply because of development in the area.
Wong said that despite the region's being declared a firefly sanctuary, almost 95 acres (38 hectares) of land along the Selangor river had been cleared of the trees in which fireflies live.
"Four out of the seven critical spots which the fireflies depend on has been cleared bare of vegetation. This is the place where they get their food and lay their eggs to sustain their three-month life cycle," she told AFP.
Wong said felling in the area, which is destined to become palm oil plantations, had also polluted the river.
The Selangor state government, won in elections last year by the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance, is to impose an immediate stop-work order along the river to save the insects, she said.
"We will also begin immediate planting of sagu, berembang, nipah and rembau (trees) which are frequented by the fireflies, to boost their population," Wong said.
"The numbers of fireflies have gone down drastically. They are dying out. We are not going to wait until there are just one or two fireflies before we act. We need to save the insects before it is too late."
Bert Che, senior executive with Firefly Park Resort in Kuala Selangor, which organises the river tours, called for swift action to protect the fireflies.
"I hope everyone will treasure our fireflies. If we don't, our next generation will not be able to see the insects," she said.
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Habitat loss in Kuala Selangor's firefly colony Hilary Chiew The Star 21 Apr 09;
