KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to strengthen measures to protect the Malayan tiger, as stated in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) mid-term review on Sept 11, is good news, but worries over proposals for mining in protected areas remain, says the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
WCS Malaysia programme country director Mark Rayan Darmaraj pointed to the National Minerals Policy, which acts as a guide for mining activities in permanent forest reserves and environmentally sensitive areas.
He said it contradicts the need for the conservation of tigers and better protection for their habitats, even though it “appears to imply the importance of sustainability and will perhaps try to mitigate the impacts of mining”.
“The fact that mining activities inevitably include some form of forest clearance and degradation, increase the potential for water pollution and soil degradation, and have other secondary impacts such as the creation of more roads in previously inaccessible forested areas, which may facilitate poaching, is worrying,” Mark said.
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