New Straits Times 3 Oct 09;
THE Sedili Wetlands is a rare freshwater swamp forest, but one that is "highly endangered".
Wetlands International senior technical officer Lee Shin Shin said the wetlands were "special" with the change of vegetation quite distinct as one went upstream.
"First you see the mangrove, then nipah, putat and further on the pandanus plants," she said.
Wetlands International has worked with the Johor National Park Corporation for Sedili Wetlands to be declared as a Ramsar site.
The Ramsar Convention is an inter-governmental treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. If successful, Sedili will join Pulau Kukup, Sungai Pulai and Tanjung Piai on the Ramsar list. All these sites are in Johor.
"Unfortunately, no action has been taken since the assessment was carried out a few years ago."
A proposed 4,046ha agro-based development project, Bio Desaru, by the state government is threatening this fragile ecosystem.
"We don't know what the impact will be. But before this, oil palm plantations and prawn aqua-culture had affected the Sedili Wetlands."
She hoped the state would gazette the area as a national park to give it better protection.
