300 HECTARES OF EAST MALAYSIA STATE OF SABAH FOREST BURNED

SANDAKAN (Malaysia), Aug 11 (Bernama) -- About 300 hectares of forest
reserve areas of East Malaysia state of Sabah have been burned in the first
eight months of the year due to human activity, hot weather and drought.

Sabah Forestry Department director, Sam Mannan, said of the total the
largest area burned was 30ha of the Bukit Hampuan Forest Reserve.

As such he called on everyone, especially those staying on the fringes of
forest reserve land, to take steps to prevent fires.

"They should not have open burning which contributes to the problem," he
said in a statement here Tuesday.

According to him, urgent preventive steps should also be taken by those
living close to mangrove swamps.

He said based on past research fires in mangrove swamps were difficult to
put out.

Mannan said several other activities like poaching, shifting cultivation and
development of land near forest reserves were also primary factors causing
forest fires.

"There are signs the El-Nino phenomena will occur again and cause hot
weather as well as prolonged drought and if the situation persists the safety of
our forests will be threathened," he said.

Mannan called on Sustainable Forest Management License Agreement (SFMLA)
holders to draw up a fire prevention action plan in their areas and have
intensive patrols, fire-fighting equipment and also have controls to prevent
poaching.
-- BERNAMA