Sabah to enforce laws on riparian reserves

The Star 5 Oct 09;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will ensure the continued existence of its iconic orang utan by strictly enforcing laws that forbid the clearing of forests along riparian reserves for planting crops like oil palm.

The commitment was made in a resolution from the two-day Orang Utan Conservation Colloquium that called for a minimum of 100m for wildlife corridors along riverbanks to be acquired by the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Riparian, or riverbank, reserves are vital to link isolated patches of forests that are home to the orang utan, Borneo pygmy elephants and the sunbear, among others.

“We are here together to do one thing: to make sure future generations can see wildlife in their natural habitat and savour what we are able to enjoy now,” said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun when accepting the resolution.

The resolution was formulated by orang utan and wildlife experts, state government officials, local and international non-governmental organisations and local communities.