ID :
121578
Wed, 05/12/2010 - 12:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/121578
The shortlink copeid
SABAH COMMITTED TO PRESERVING ITS BIODIVERSITY, SAYS CM
TAWAU (Malaysia), May 12 (Bernama) -- Sabah, an East Malaysia state, is committed to preserving its biodiversity to ensure that the natural resources will continuously contribute to the well-being of the people.
Chief Minister Musa Aman said the commitment could be seen
through the various efforts taken to preserve the natural resources, be they in
the form of research, or by creating nature gene banks of biological diversity.
Apart from that, he said the in-situ conservation had also been implemented
on land owned by the Agriculture Department, while the proposal paper on the
protection of biodiversity habitat for plant species especially fruit trees in
several areas in Sabah had also been prepared.
Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, Musa said the government had conducted a
programme to collect herbal plants to be developed into food products and
medicines.
"I am happy that the research and development carried out by the Agriculture
Department had produced high-yielding strains of crops like padi, oil palm,
cocoa, coconut, coffee and fruits.
"The Sabah Agriculture Department, for example, has even produced 20
varieties of padi," he said in a speech read by Deputy Chief Minister Yahya
Hussin at a dinner held in conjunction with the 2nd National Conference on
Agro-Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability, here, Tuesday.
Musa said the Veterinary Services Department and the local livestock
industry through its biotechnology centre in Keningau had also produced better
breeds like the Bali cattle and the genes were kept in the gene bank.
He said these new livestock breeds would be used to ensure sustainable food
production in Sabah.
The preservation of lobster species by the Fisheries Department, on the
other hand, was aimed at protecting the species from extinction, he said.
Musa said to support the commitment shown by these agencies, the state
government had set up the Sabah Biodiversity Council to steer the setting up of
the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, which would lead in biodiversity conservation
efforts in Sabah and Malaysia as a whole.
-- BERNAMA
Chief Minister Musa Aman said the commitment could be seen
through the various efforts taken to preserve the natural resources, be they in
the form of research, or by creating nature gene banks of biological diversity.
Apart from that, he said the in-situ conservation had also been implemented
on land owned by the Agriculture Department, while the proposal paper on the
protection of biodiversity habitat for plant species especially fruit trees in
several areas in Sabah had also been prepared.
Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, Musa said the government had conducted a
programme to collect herbal plants to be developed into food products and
medicines.
"I am happy that the research and development carried out by the Agriculture
Department had produced high-yielding strains of crops like padi, oil palm,
cocoa, coconut, coffee and fruits.
"The Sabah Agriculture Department, for example, has even produced 20
varieties of padi," he said in a speech read by Deputy Chief Minister Yahya
Hussin at a dinner held in conjunction with the 2nd National Conference on
Agro-Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability, here, Tuesday.
Musa said the Veterinary Services Department and the local livestock
industry through its biotechnology centre in Keningau had also produced better
breeds like the Bali cattle and the genes were kept in the gene bank.
He said these new livestock breeds would be used to ensure sustainable food
production in Sabah.
The preservation of lobster species by the Fisheries Department, on the
other hand, was aimed at protecting the species from extinction, he said.
Musa said to support the commitment shown by these agencies, the state
government had set up the Sabah Biodiversity Council to steer the setting up of
the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, which would lead in biodiversity conservation
efforts in Sabah and Malaysia as a whole.
-- BERNAMA
