News
Certified Palm Oil Essential for Widlife Conservation in Sabah
Dr Sen Nathan, Assistant Director of Sabah Wildlife Department, highlights the current situation in Sabah with regards to sustainable palm oil.
10/11/2017
By Dr Sen Nathan
We have known since 2010 that Sabah’s iconic wildlife, including our orangutan and elephants, would face severe pressure from development. The Sabah Wildlife Department’s warning of increasing human-wildlife conflicts, especially in the heavily-developed lower Kinabatangan area has materialized in recent years with numerous human-elephant conflicts reported in the area.
The department’s dire warning was supported this year when an international study on orangutan populations and habitats identified Sabah as a region where the primate populations will drop, unless drastic measures are put in place to reconnect wildlife habitats.
Maps from the 2012 report on the status of orangutan show clearly where isolated populations of orangutan are expected to suffer localized extinction unless the palm oil industry stepped in to help create the Corridor of Life.
In the lower Kinabatangan area, this is extremely challenging as the ownership of lands in the area range from state lands to private plantations and local villagers.
The presence of plantations certified as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has meant the preservation of some riparian areas but these are by far, inadequate to provide the level of habitat needed by big wildlife especially elephants.
The MSPO as a nationally-mandated scheme for sustainable palm oil production in Malaysia has the necessary clout to ensure that key wildlife habitats like the riparian areas along the Kinabatangan are preserved for wildlife.
In addition to industrial plantations, the MSPO influence on smallholders through the MPOB will help to ensure that there are no broken links when local villagers own lands in between industrial plantations.
We need the industry and NGOs to work together with government in order to show the world that palm oil from Sabah does not threaten the orangutan and other wildlife with extinction.
The Malaysian palm oil industry, through its conservation funds, have funded conservation measures including the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary and the Wildlife Rescue Unit #sabahwildliferescueunit.
As certification under the MSPO progresses, the goal of creating a favourable environment for Sabah’s iconic wildlife is starting to look very achievable so let us not stop.
Having said that though, the Malaysian palm oil sector can and must do more for wildlife conservation."
Dr Sen Nathan is Assistant Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, but is on a study sabbatical in Cardiff, Wales. An avid Conservationist, his remarks here are in his personal capacity as a concerned Sabahan. He also attaches two earlier articles on the issue that was published in theedgemarkets.com
Explore more articles
News
New rescue vehicle
To ensure our team at Sepilok can carry out their work effectively, a reliable vehicle is indispensable.
News
Heart of Borneo - Outreach Programme
Community education and conservation initiative in Telupid.