Awg Tengah: Sarawak targets to gazette 1 mln ha as Totally Protected Areas by 2025

KUCHING (Nov 29): The Sarawak government is targeting to gazette a land area of one million hectares (ha) as Totally Protected Areas (TPA) by 2025, said Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

The Second Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister said in continuation of this effort, the government through the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), has designated another five land areas to be gazetted as TPA.

“They are Tutoh-Apoh National Park; Bukit Lima Nature Reserve (Extension 1); Kubah National Park (Extension 1); Mature Nature Reserve; and Bako Buntal Bay National Park.

“All of these areas are already at the initial gazetting stage and are expected to contribute to the increase in land area that will be gazetted as TPA,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting here today.

The Deputy Premier told the august House that there are 67 TPA which have been gazetted and regulated by SFC with a total area of approximately 2.12 million hectares.

“This landfill area includes a marine area of ​​approximately 1.24 million hectares and a land area of ​​approximately 872,000 hectares,” he said.

As a measure to preserve forests and wildlife, he said the Sarawak Forestry Department (SFD) and SFC had and are actively carrying out enforcement activities.

“From 2021 to November 2023, the SFD recorded a total of 297 cases of forest offences.

“A total of six cases were registered for prosecution in court, where all cases were resolved, with five (5) accused persons being convicted.

“In the same period, the sale value of confiscated timber was a total of RM4,398,786 while the compound collected for forest offences was a total of RM1.3 million,” he said.

From SFC, Awang Tengah said the corporation recorded 419 cases of offences related to TPA and wildlife from 2020 until October 2023.

“Of this figure, 48 cases were prosecuted in court, where 41 cases were fined or imprisoned, two cases were discharged not amounting to acquittal and the remaining five cases are still in the trial process.

“Meanwhile, a total of 178 cases have been compounded with a compound value of RM537,000 and the remaining 193 cases are still in various stages of investigation,” he said.