Sabah working on long-term plan for hornbill conservation

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government and conservationists are working out on a 10-year action plan for the conservation of hornbills in the state.

Sabah Wildlife Department deputy director II Roland Nuin said that there was an urgent need for an action plan to ensure the survival of the eight hornbill species found in the state.

"It is imperative that we engage relevant stakeholders and collect all available information on the eight species as a vital step in the development of the Sabah Hornbill Action Plan," Nuin said.

Over 60 people including hornbill researchers, government officials, non-government and private sector officials attended a workshop here on Monday (March 13).

Out of the eight species of hornbills, one known as the Helmeted Hornbill is classified as critically endangered and on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Of the remaining seven species, two are endangered, three are vulnerable, one is near-threatened and the final one is the 'least concern,' workshop organisers said in a statement Monday.

Currently, all bird species, even hornbills, are included in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment Act 1997 and experts said all eight species should be listed in Schedule 1 for better protection.

Mandai Nature's Terrestrial Species and Conservation Planning head Roopali Raghavan said that participants shared key information about hornbills in the state, its threats and the distribution of hornbills in Sabah.

Based on this information, she said that nine main themes were identified which led the group to identify 78 crucial actions to save the species.

The action plan involves a series of actions that includes extended research, protection, management, ecology, trade, hunting, tourism, ex-situ engagement, law and policy, human-wildlife conflict, and awareness.

Xploregaia (Gaia) scientific director Dr Ravinder Kaur said that the action plan would be a guiding document for people in Sabah to work together towards a common goal to conserve hornbills.

The plan, to be published in 2024, will provide information about the threats and effective conservation measures for the selected species and the key actions required to improve their conservation status in the state.

Sabah Hornbill Action Plan Workshop was organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department with the support of Sabah Forestry Department, Xploregaia (Gaia), Yayasan Sime Darby, Mandai Nature, Birdlife International, The Datai Pledge, HUTAN-KOCP, Malaysia Nature Society, IUCN Hornbill Specialist Group and Danau Girang Field Centre.