Malaysia: 50,000 mangrove trees felled despite ban

Stuart Michael and Christina Low The Star 25 Jan 11;

MANGROVE trees are still being logged in islands off Port Klang despite a ban by the Selangor government.

Selangor Forestry Department assistant director (operations and enforcement) Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop this showed that the thieves were not afraid of the authorities.

The department seized about 50,000 mangrove logs with an estimated value of RM500,000 in Pulau Ketam, off Port Klang, recently.

Yussainy said the thieves were defying the authorities by placing the logs at the same site.

“It is difficult to catch the thieves in action as they know how to evade the authorities because they know the area well.

“The thieves usually employ three or four foreigners in an island for a month to cut the trees and pile the logs near the river.

“The logs are shipped out by small boats during high tide and under the cover of darkness,” he said.

Yussainy said the middleman would provide food, water, gas and other necessities for the foreigners during the stay on the island.

“The foreigners are paid RM1 for each mangrove log,’’ he said.

During a joint operation by the State Forestry Department and Port Klang marine police recently,Yussainy and his team caught a middleman in his 40s who showed how the operation was carried out.

“We have caught the loggers and middleman but not the wholesaler. We are on the verge of busting the entire gang ring soon,’’ he said.

Port Klang marine police commanding officer Deputy Supt Norzaid Muhammad Said said his men would not give up and continue with more operations.

Norzaid said when the suspect took his men to a makeshift house built on stilts, the occupants had fled just minutes before the raid as a pot of rice was being cooked on the stove.

He said the mangrove area was important not only to preserve the environment but also to prevent floods or natural disasters such as a tsunami.

“Frequent patrolling in such areas is needed and we believe the culprits will return to the spots. As long as there is a demand for mangrove logs, illegal logging will continue,” he said.

Norzaid said the marine police would continue to work closely with the state Forestry Department to put an end to such activities.

“We may also consider changing our modus operandi in dealing with these illegal loggers,” said Norzaid.