KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry is roping in assemblymen who can commit to helping the state address human-wildlife conflicts.
Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said this is so that those facing frequent problems in their constituencies can better understand the challenges faced in managing wildlife on the ground.
They can also help disseminate information to local communities, he added.
"Therefore I call upon and welcome assemblymen, especially those who face issues relating to wildlife, to be our honorary wildlife wardens under the Wildlife Enactment," he said in his winding-up speech at the state legislative assembly sitting here on Wednesday (April 29).
Earlier, he said that based on 2025 data, a total of 11 deaths and three injuries were recorded from crocodile attacks statewide, with two in Kinabatangan involving foreign workers.
Jafry said these incidents mostly occur in palm oil estates during fishing or netting activities.
He said in Sabah, the law allows controlled and monitored rearing and export of a species of crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), as a form of effective population control.
Therefore, suggestions for unlicensed culling or hunting of crocodiles cannot be considered at this moment because of legal issues as well as ecosystem sustainability concerns, he said.
"The licensing system is created to control crocodile hunting and crocodile product-based trade (skin and meat), and to curb uncontrolled exploitation and illegal sales of these by-products on social media and other digital platforms," he added.
He said the ministry, through the Sabah Wildlife Department, conducts integrated operations, issue of hunting licenses to control crocodile population, holds awareness programmes and puts up warning signs at hotspots.
"Scientific research and pilot projects to address this problem are also carried out in Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan," he added.
As for human-elephant conflicts, Jafry said this is another area that the ministry is extremely concerned about, seeing how people have died in elephant attacks in the past.
"Some measures taken are collaring elephants to monitor their movements, installing electrical fences at hotspots, and setting up a team of local elephant herders for rapid response during emergencies," he said.
Awareness programmes, collaborations with stakeholders, food planting initiatives and other short- and long-term measures are in place to reduce human-elephant conflicts and encourage protection of the animals in Sabah, he said.
On other matters, Jafry said Sabah has recorded a positive growth in tourism arrivals im January, compared with the same period last year.
However, the current global energy and supply crisis is affecting tourist arrivals and other related economic activities, he said.
Various measures in place include discussions with airlines, tour companies and industry players as well as government agencies to find ways to promote tourism amid global uncertainties, Jafry added.
He said various promotional packages, diversified and creative services and products as well as other tourism attractions were being planned to ensure consistent growth of the industry.
On accommodation and tour operator licences, he assured that enforcement was being carried out, while the authorities were monitoring tourism products and services proper safety measures in place.
