EXTRACTING timber from primary forests is a thing of the past in Sarawak, said Abang Johari Openg.
The chief minister said the logs for the industry would now come from planted forests.
“We don’t cut these areas (primary forests) any more,” he said at the 15th anniversary dinner of the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) in Kuching yesterday.
“We don’t have to disturb our primary forests.”
The timber industry was an important revenue earner in the 1970s and and its politics was invariably linked to as timber tycoons who bankrolled the various political parties.
Environmentalists, both at home and abroad, then attacked the state over its timber policy, claiming it led to widespread deforestation and corruption.
Oil and gas, the manufacturing industry and now new taxes have overtaken revenue from logging.
He said primary forests, where 60 of the state’s totally protected areas (TPAs) are sited, could now earn a different sort of revenue – as a tourism product.
He said he is mulling imposing “some kind of tax for people who want to see our forests”.
“The direction we are taking is to enrich our forests.”
Earlier, chairman of SFC Len Talif Salleh said the corporation had for the first time ever, trained 41 Mandarin-speaking park guides this year to cater for the growing Chinese eco tourism market.
Talif, who is also assistant minister for urban planning, land administration and environment, said SFC’s conservation work on endangered marine species, such as turtles, dugong, dolphins and marine invertebrates and corals, on its offshore and island national parks promises to provide great and excellent spots for tourists to scuba-dive and engage in other underwater activities.
“This (the training of the 41 guides) could not be more timely in conjunction with Visit Sarawak Campaign.”
He also said SFC is collaborating with Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) to enhance wi-fi connectivity in nine national parks.
The parks are in Bako, Gunung Gading, Tanjung Datu, Kubah, Similajau, Niah, Lambir Hills and the Semenggoh and Matang wildlife centres. – December 12, 2018.
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