KOTA KINABALU: A Denmark-based group called Preferred by Nature (PbN) will join forces with Sabah to conserve and restore Lahad Datu’s Silam Coast Conservation Area (SCCA), a location that is part of the state’s Coral Triangle.
To bring the matter forward, SCCA custodians Yayasan Sabah signed a memorandum of understanding with PbN in an effort to restore the ecosystem and help in the long term preservation of the sensitive area.
Yayasan Sabah director Datuk Seri Gulamhaidar Khan Bahadar said that the funding of RM1.2mil from PbN would boost the supervision and monitoring of 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, who was represented by its executive director Peter Feilberg on Thursday.
Gulamhaidar said the partnership with PbN would leave behind a long-lasting legacy for conservation.
Located at Darvel Bay, SCCA straddles the Coral Triangle and Sulu Sea, and is reportedly one of the world’s most marine biodiversity-rich areas that is a Priority Conservation Area of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region.
The area classified as a totally protected area has approximately 2,770ha that includes the Tumunong Hallu and Bangkuruan mangrove forest reserves, as well as the Tabun and Saranga islands.
According to scientific studies, there are about 138 plant species that also include 63 types of mangroves and mangrove-associated species, some of which are rare in Malaysia.
Some 60 bird species and 25 mammals have also been observed in the area.
