Malaysia: Sarawak Forestry Corp calls for review of IUCN Red List on threatened species

ADIB POVERA New Straits Times 3 Nov 16;

KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has called for the review of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with regards to the status of dipterocarps in the state.

Its chief executive officer Wong Ting Chung made the conclusion based on research findings from the Research for Intensified Management of Bio-Rich Areas of Sarawak (Rimba Sarawak) programme, which commenced last year.

"The IUCN Red List says that 64 per cent of our 249 dipterocarp species are considered as "threatened".

"These included some of the commonly available and commercially important species such as meranti binatoh, meranti langgai and selangan batu hitam.

"It is high time that the IUCN Red List should be reviewed, particularly pertaining to the status of dipterocarps in Sarawak," he said in his speech during the Rimba Rumbling event here today.

The event, held to update stakeholders on the progress of the Rimba Sarawak programme, was officiated by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

Wong said research findings from Rimba Sarawak found that 35 per cent of the species listed as threatened globally in the IUCN Red List should not be considered as threatened in the state.

"One of the species, namely Shorea cuspidata, is listed as extinct but can actually still be found in parts of Lundu, Sematan and Baram," he said.