Kota Kinabalu: E-fences have been installed at residential and crop areas in Batu Putih, Kinabatangan to help ward off elephants.
Borneo Conservation Trusts (BCT) Honorary Secretary, Datuk Laurentius Ambu said that the endeavour was made possible through the collaboration between BCT, Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) , Felda Global Venture (FGV) and the Batu Putih REDD+ community.
He said the e-fences , which were powered by solar panels have been very effective and was installed in December last year.
And, he also explained that the technology was not new and has been used in other countries where human-elephant conflicts were common such as India.
“Of course , it is also used by oil palm plantations” he said
The installation of e-fences was part of the FGV-BCT programme to support SWD to mitigate human -elephant conflicts that were common in the Kinabatangan region.
Speaking at the new BCT Board of Trustees appointment ceremony here yesterday, Dr Laurentius said the goal of BCT was to restore and improve the ecosystem within the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life, as well re-establish the connectivity between isolated forests in the region.
BCT has outlined six programmes and among them was its land management programme and research programme to support the development of carbon trading strategy in Kinabatangan.
At present , BCT has more than 200 acres of forest land which had been acquired through funding raised by Saraya and BCT Japan.
The area is used as key area for research development along with the FGV corridor (about 200 ha) and several other pilot project in the REDD+ project area.
“The aim of the programme is to improve forest connectivity in Kinabatangan ,Segama and the area near the transboundary corridor between Sabah (Malaysia) and Kalimantan (Indonesia)” he said.
Additionally, he said BCT also carried out its conservation programmes which, among others , involved protection mechanism , securing forests land as biodiversity corridor, restoration of degraded riparian reserve as well as mitigate human-elephant conflicts within the region.
Dr Laurentius said the local communities living in the Kinabatangan were enlisted to help in the monitoring activities.”However relevant capacity building will be provided to the communities to enhance their knowledge and skill monitoring biodiversity and illegal activities especially at the upper Kinabatangan, he said.
Meanwhile, former City mayor, Datuk Abidin Madingkir has been appointed as BCT new chairman , replacing Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok who served as chairman from 2013 to 2016.
Dr Laurentius retained his post as Honorary Secretary which he held since 2013 with Yusuke Saraya was appointed as treasurer.
Other appointed Board of Trustees were Sabah Wildlife Department Director Augustine Tuuga, FGV Chief international bussiness officer, Denys Collin Munang and the new appointed MPOC, CEO, Dr Kalyana Sundram.
Source from : New Sabah Times, 24.2.2017