3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Editorial C O N T E N T S Feature Sarawak s Forestry Sector Adopts M E P System Sea Turtle Adoption Programme Highlight Prospect Of The Wood-Based Industry Under SCORE Current Issue Impacts of The Fuel Price Hike On The Wood-Based Industry Market Report Market Performance (January-June 2008) Trade Statistics, Sarawak Trade Statistics (January-June 2008 / January-June 2007) PERKASA bi-monthly newsletter is published by Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the Publisher. The title PERKASA, its logo and contents remain the property of the Publisher. Opinions expressed by advertisers are not necessarily of the Publisher or Editor. PUSAKA SARAWAK TIMBER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (STIDC) Wisma Sumber Alam, Jalan Stadium, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching P.O.Box 194, 93702 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Tel: 6082-443477 Fax: 6082-442691 Email: edae@pusaka.gov.my Website: www.pusaka.gov.my Editorial Board ADVISOR Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh General Manager CHIEF EDITOR Hashim Haji Bojet Acting Deputy General Manager MEMBERS Haluyah Binti Awi Acting Senior (Administration) Dayang Nena Abang Bruce Senior (Trade Development) Catherine Sng Bee Seio (Finance & Investment) Edmund Daging Mangku (Resource Development) Tagat Jimbat (Domestic Trade) Mohd. Hinri Abdullah (Preventive & Enforcement) Suraya Mohamad Ali Senior Manager (Registration & Licensing) Nicholas Andrew Lissem Acting Senior Manager (Industrial Planning) Eda Haji Edan Publications Manager WRITER Norman Botes Noma CONTRIBUTOR Gary Gerisah Bagong 2 PERKASA VOL. 5/6 (May-June2008)
SARAWAK TIMBER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (STIDC) Editorial Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is a major development initiative to be carried out to develop the Central Region and eventually transform Sarawak into a developed State in tandem with the national policy and mission towards the year 2020 and beyond. It aims to accelerate the State s economic growth and development, thereby enhancing the living standards of the people of Sarawak. The wood-based industry was identified as one of the priority industries which will continue to be aggressively promoted and developed under SCORE, with greater participation from the private sector. With a large part of the State s 8.2 million hectares of land under forest cover located in the corridor, there is a vast potential in the wood-based industry to develop upstream activities such as forest plantations. SCORE also provides immense opportunities for this industry to venture further into higher value downstream activities like the manufacturing of furniture, mouldings and panel products. SCORE also supports the State Government s aspiration to ensure sustainable supply of forest resources for the benefit of the present and future generations. Towards that end, the State Government has set aside 7.5 million hectares for Permanent Forest Estates (PFEs) and Totally Protected Areas (TPAs). The State Government s commitment on sound sustainable forest management is a manifestation of how it addresses the need for balance development as well as the need to protect and conserve the environment. Through these concerted efforts, the wood-based industry is poised to generate new business and employment opportunities besides other multiplier effects within the corridor. PERKASA VOL. 5/6 (May-June2008) 3
SARAWAK S FORESTRY SECTOR ADOPTS M E P SYSTEM MEP system for the detection of encroachments and illegal logging activities in environmentally sensitive and totally protected areas Forest Department, Sarawak officially launched the Integrated Geospatial System for Monitoring, Enforcement and Prevention (MEP) in conjunction with the World Forestry Day celebration on 24th. March 2008. MEP is a multi disciplinary system incorporating image processing, geospatial analysis, mobile mapping and also web based application for the detection of encroachments and illegal logging activities in environmentally sensitive and totally protected areas like water catchments, national parks and forest reserves. The remote sensing component comprises a spectral algorithm (filter) which process the raw image dataset derived from an imaging platform and then feeds in results of the enhanced datasets like raster detection or vector formats to the Geographical Information System (GIS) component. Geospatial analysis including anomaly detection and change detection are done to identify the affected as well as high risk areas. These geospatial data are then disseminated to the field users via a web platform where it would be downloaded to the mobile application component such as Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Field information like felling sites, logging tracks, and location of illegally felled logs obtained by the user segment are then uploaded back to the central MEP server, which will then be used to update the geospatial database and also incorporated into maps for future mobile applications. Field trails had shown that this system was able to provide a quick response solution to the users needs in terms of geospatial data requirement and also provides a more accurate representation of the target area to the field staff. The department s next action plan is to look into the possibility of incorporating airbone hyperspectral sensing technology as input to the MEP system. This is in tandem with its efforts towards sustainable management of forest resources through the use of current technology especially so for monitoring, enforcement and prevention. This system benefits the enforcement agencies including STIDC and the wood-based industry as a whole as it promises greater accuracy and efficiency in monitoring, enforcement and prevention of irregularities in this sector. SUMMARY Sarawak s forestry sector adopts MEP system for the detection of encroachments and illegal logging activities in environmentally sensitive and totally protected areas. Field trials had shown that MEP system was able to provide a quick response solution to the users needs besides providing a more accurate representation of the target areas to the field staff. MEP benefits the enforcement agencies including STIDC and the wood-based industry as a whole as it promises greater accuracy and efficiency. 4 PERKASA VOL. 5/6 (May-June2008)
SARAWAK TIMBER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (STIDC) SEA TURTLE ADOPTION PROGRAMME Sea Turtle Adoption Programme is one of the extensive efforts in the protection of wildlife in Sarawak Sarawak s Finance Minister II and Minister of Urban Development and Tourism, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh launched the Sea Turtle Adoption Programme at the turtle island, Pulau Talang-Talang Besar, near Kuching on 30th. April 2008. Initiatives on sea turtle conservation started in Sarawak in 1950s with the enactment of the Turtle Trust Ordinance. These efforts became more evident with the enactment of Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998 and Sarawak Biodiversity Ordinance, 1998. Further testimony to the State s commitment in this was sealed when all sea turtles were listed under the Totally Protected Species List in the Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998 (Amended 2003). This was followed by the proposal made to the State Government to gazette sea grass beds and coral reefs at Kuala Lawas area, which had been identified as feeding ground for green and hawksbill turtle as totally protected area. The Reef Ball Project was found as being successful in reducing the number of sea turtle mortality rate and ensuring sea turtle nesting areas are further protected. This project had also benefited the local fishermen by contributing significant increase in their catches. Another 5,000 reef balls are still needed to protect sea turtle critical habitat, its swimming areas, nesting beaches and feeding ground and migration pathway of sea turtles along the 1,000km coastline of Sarawak. This is where other conservation oriented organizations and private sectors can play their role and show support. The State Government, Sarawak continuously supports and had laid a solid foundation for sea turtle protection at Talang-Satang National Park which led to the Turtle Adoption Programme. Legislations pertaining to sea turtles in Sarawak are in place and have been regularly revised to suit the current needs Dato Sri Wong (second left) and Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh, Director of Sarawak Forest Department & STIDC General Manager (left) releasing the Green Turtle to the sea. in managing sea turtle research and conservation. Legislation such as Turtle Trust Ordinance, 1957 (Amended 1967), Turtles (prevention of Distribution) Rules, 1962, Customs (Prohibition of Exports/Imports) Orders, 1998, Wildlife Protection Rules, 1988 (Amended 2003), National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance, 1998, National Park and Nature Reserves Rules, 1999 and Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998 (Amended 2003) provide further protection in legal terms for sea turtles. Sea Turtle Adoption Programme gives the opportunity to the public to experience turtle conservation in Sarawak and see its positive progress made thus far. The four-day three-night on site programme is conducted from May to September yearly. Under this programme, the participants have the chance to experience activities such as tagging and measuring of turtles, beach patrolling, transferring of eggs to hatchery, releasing of hatchlings, data recording, assisting in other researches, education and other conservation activities. The Turtle Adoption Programme is one of the State s extensive efforts in the protection of wildlife in Sarawak. It is also a way of incorporating and involving both locals and foreigners to value the efforts and celebrate what Sarawak has done thus far in sea turtle conservation. Sea Turtle Adoption Programme is one way of incorporating and involving people not only locals but across the globe to value efforts and celebrate what Sarawak has done on turtle conservation, Dato Sri Wong said. Eight species are found at Talang-Satang National Park. However, in Sarawak, 99% of nesting sea turtles recorded are of the Green Turtle species. Members of the public are cordially invited to participate in this programme. Cost for adopting a turtle and a nest is RM200 and RM100 respectively. For more detail on Sea Turtle Adoption Programme, please log-on t o w w w. s a r a w a k f o r e s t r y. c o m or info@sarawakforestry.com SUMMARY Sea Turtle Adoption Programme gives the opportunity to the public to experience turtle conservation in Sarawak and see its positive progress made thus far. The Reef Ball Project was found as being successful in reducing the number of sea turtle mortality rate and ensuring sea turtle nesting areas are further protected. Another 5,000 reef balls are still needed to protect sea turtle critical habitat, its swimming areas, nesting beaches and feeding ground and migration pathway of sea turtles along the 1,000km coastline of Sarawak. Legislations pertaining to sea turtles in Sarawak are in place and have been regularly revised to suit the current needs in managing sea turtle research and conservation. PERKASA VOL. 5/6 1/2 (May-June2008) (Jan.-Feb.2008) 53