SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government will turn some 400ha of mangrove area in Port Dickson into a permanent forest reserve, says Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
The Mentri Besar said this will cover areas from the state's border with Sepang in Selangor and Linggi in Melaka.
"This is a good move to protect our mangrove areas which act as critical nurseries for marine life and are natural buffers against coastal erosion.
"This is also important as mangrove forests also serve as critical habitats, nesting sites and foraging grounds for diverse bird species," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri here Wednesday (Feb 4).
Aminuddin said the state government was empowered to turn the mangrove areas to a permanent forest reserve as provided under Section 7(1) of the National Forestry Act 1984.
"The Forestry Department had briefed the state exco on the matter a couple of times previously but we told them to come up with a comprehensive paper so that there will be no issues in future.
"Our intention is to have a clear framework so that our environment can be preserved," he said, adding that this was the first time the state government had initiated a move to categorise mangrove areas as a permanent forest reserve.
