SAM URGE M'SIA TO PRESERVE MANGROVE FOREST

PENANG (Malaysia), Dec 26 (Bernama) -- Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has urged
the Malaysian government to stop all activities in mangroves forest and pay
serious attention to the threat posed by the aquaculture industry which has
resulted in the deterioration of the mangrove forest eco-system.

SAM president S.M. Mohamed Idris said there was a need to re-consider the
industrial aquaculture zones and prohibit aquaculture activities in mangrove
forest.

"The government should also develop a strong policy and law to control the
aquaculture industry as well as to rehabilitate damaged mangrove forest to
ensure protection for our coastlines," he told reporters here Friday.

He said the areas that were badly hit by Tsunami in 2004 like Acheh
and Thailand suffered huge losses because the mangrove forest had been converted
for aquaculture industries.

"The tragedy of Tsunami created a chaotic situation throughout the world
and these are valuable lessons to avert future tragedies especially in the light
of adverse impact of climate change in the future," he said.

He said areas comprising mangrove forest in Malaysia has decreased
drastically despite a warning by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
to stop any invasion and destruction of mangrove forest and a call to replant
mangrove trees.

In conjunction with the Tsunami anniversary in Penang, SAM in collaboration
with the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) would replant about 6,000 mangrove
trees in six different locations in Kedah, Penang and Perak, all northern states
in Peninsular Malaysia .

The Tsunami, triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean, off Sumatra on
Dec 26, 2004 claimed over 230,000 lives in countries like Indonesia, India, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Somalia, Maldives and Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA