KOTA KINABALU: Denmark-based group Preferred by Nature (PbN) is joining conservation and restoration efforts in Lahad Datu's Silam Coast Conservation Area (SCCA), part of the western Pacific Ocean Coral Triangle.
SCCA custodians Yayasan Sabah signed a memorandum of understanding with PbN with the aim of long-term preservation of the ecologically sensitive area.
Yayasan Sabah director Datuk Seri Gulamhaidar Khan Bahadar said the RM1.2mil funding provided by PbN would boost supervision and monitoring of the SCCA.
"I am confident that our efforts to address environmental damage and promote a sustainable future will be greatly aided,” he said after the signing ceremony with PbN led by its executive director Peter Feilberg on Thursday (Aug 22).
Gulamhaidar said the partnership would be fruitful as it would leave a long-lasting legacy for conservation.
SCCA at Darvel Bay lies within the Coral Triangle and the Sulu Sea is reportedly one of the world's most biodiversity-rich marine areas.
It is also a priority conservation area in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region.
The area, classified as totally protected, covers approximately 2,770ha and includes the Tumunong Hallu and Bangkuruan mangrove forest reserves as well as the islands of Tabun and Saranga.
There are 138 plant species in the area, including 63 types of mangroves and mangrove-associated species, some of which are reportedly rare.
Some 60 bird species and 25 mammals have also been observed in the area.
