The Star 24 Mar 14;
WE are concerned over the report on “Country Garden, KPRJ plan massive reclamation development for luxury homes”.
The approval of this plan means that Malaysia’s largest intertidal seagrass meadow measuring 1.8km in length covering over 38ha will be permanently buried.
The project has since begun with sand barges dumping sand while the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) has yet to be made available to the public.
Being the largest seagrass ecosystem in the country, it harbours a unique biodiversity and the densest seahorse population in the country comprising two species, and is a rich nursery ground for seafood resources.
The seahorses are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, thus destroying their habitat will add further impact to their plight and conservation status.
On top of being the home of various marine organisms and an important nursery ground for commercially important food fishes and marine invertebrates, the seagrass meadows also serve to prevent soil erosion, and act as a carbon sink and wave buffer zone (dissipating wave energy which can cause damage to coastal infrastructures).
Local fishermen depend heavily on the seagrass meadow to support their livelihood. Removal of this unique area will have an adverse impact on the environment as well as those who depend on it.
We urge for the reconsideration of the massive reclamation project for the sake of the great diversity of marine life, livelihood of the locals and survival of the Merambong seagrass meadow, Malaysia’s largest intertidal seagrass treasure.
SAVE OUR SEAHORSES (SOS) MALAYSIA
Petaling Jaya
