Increasing fines alone won’t protect forests, say activists

KUALA LUMPUR: Increasing penalties alone is not enough to protect the forest reserves, which are shrinking due to logging, environmental groups say.

Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia president Damien Thanam Divean believes that all logging activities should be stopped to better preserve the forests to ensure a sustainable future over short-term gains.

“The Federal Government should actively look to retrain all logging industry workers to work in other environmentally friendly sectors such as renewable energy,” he said.

Sharing the same view is Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia president Andrew Sebastian, who said logging, be it legal or illegal, could cause a negative impact on the environment and wildlife.

He observed that forest reserves around Malaysia were shrinking.

“Buffer zones are being pushed further into forest reserves near the National Forest at Kuala Tahan as more areas of the original buffer zones are logged over,” he revealed.

Andrew said licensed and illegal loggers should have their penalties increased further for flaunting regulations as the potential ecological and environmental damage of these offences could cause severe consequences.

“These activities can disrupt the delicate forest ecosystems, leading to more animals and plants dying off,” he pointed out.

Last month, amendments to the National Forestry Act were passed in Parliament to better protect the forest.

Among the amendments were the increases in penalties for those convicted of offences involving primary forest produce, such as illegal logging, defacing trees and starting forest fires. Offenders could face jail sentences of between five and 20 years and fines of between RM100,000 and RM5mil.

Environmental Protection Society Malaysia vice-president Randolph Jeremiah said degradation of a forest lowers its ability to fight climate change and that more should be done towards forest management other than increasing penalties.

“There must be more detailed land-use planning discussions between federal and state officials that prioritise the protection, expansion and rehabilitation of existing forest reserves.,” he pointed out.

Malaysia Nature Society president Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail noted that all types of forests around the country were equally important and that they, too, needed to be protected.

“Mangrove forests around coastal areas are vital as they act as natural storm barriers against extreme weather events while also acting as a nursery for young fish as it makes it easier for them to escape predators,” Ahmad said.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman suggested that more qualified people should be brought in to provide better risk assessments and evaluation processes for logging projects.