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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AT WORK: CMS STAFF PLANT 500 MANGROVE

SAPLINGS AT RAMSAR SITE, KUCHING WETLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Posted on : 21 Nov 2017 Source of News: CMS

Kuching (Sarawak) – Tuesday, 21November 2017:Over the past weekend, 75 employee

volunteers from Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) planted 500 mangrove saplings (BakauKurap
species or rhizophoramucronata sp.) at the RAMSAR site, Kuching Wetlands National Park. The
programme, which is part of CMS’ ‘Doing Good’ CSR programme, was organised in
collaboration with the Forest Department Sarawak – the government agency that promotes the
rehabilitation of the ecosystem in Kuching Wetlands.

The volunteers braved the rain and mud, and byworking together collaborativelyand
systematically, they managed to plant all 500 saplings in just one hour. Part of the group were
assigned to do nursery work where they managed to prepare 500 saplings from the mangrove
propagules as part of the propagation process. This is to meet the condition set by the Forest
Department whereby the number of saplings planted must be replaced with the same number of
saplings prepared in their efforts to guarantee sustainability.

As well as manpower, CMS also contributed tools worth RM2,300.00, comprising rubber boots,
gloves, a ladder, hoes and garbage bins for future use as part of the programme. The
contribution was handed over by CMS Group Corporate Communications Manager, Ms Shirly
Ann Clarke to the Forest Department representative, Mr Haazizkin. This is the second time
CMS joined the mangrove planting programme and hopes to increase its involvement and value
in future programmes with the Forest Department Sarawak.

The RAMSAR site is situated 15 km from Kuching and approximately 5 km from Damai Beach.
The Kuching Wetlands National Park covers an area of 6,610 hectares in between the
SibuLautand Salak rivers. The park is mostly comprised of a saline mangrove system that
includes an extensive network of marine waterways and tidal creeks interconnecting the two
major rivers that form the boundaries of the park.

Initiated in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, the Ramsar Convention had been adopted by many countries
including Malaysia in 1995. The Kuching Wetlands National Park fulfilled four (4) out of nine (9)
criteria suitable as a Ramsar site. The four criteria include: the site is a particularly good
representative example of a natural coastal mangrove system, the site supports the Proboscis
Monkey (Nasalislarvatus), the site is of special value as a nursery area for the Estuarine
Crocodile (Crocodylusporosus) and the site is an important spawning and nursery ground for
fish and prawn species.