EXTENSION OF THE MOU BETWEEN SABAH FORESTRY DEPARTMENT (SFD) & (ISME) ON MANGROVE REHABILITATION

Exchanging the MoU Document between ISME and Sabah Forestry Department. From left: Dr. Chan Hung Tuck (ISME), Prof. Shigeyuki Baba (ISME), THaji Fadzil Haji Yahya (SFD), and Dr. Arthur Chung (SFD).

SANDAKAN: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Aug 23 in Sandakan between the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) to implement Phase Three of the Collaborative Project on Rehabilitation of Degraded Mangroves in Sabah, for the next five years (2019-2024).

Funded by Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd., Japan, this mangrove rehabilitation project will be implemented by SFD with technical guidance from ISME.

For the record, SFD has adopted the Look East Policy since 2011 in the sustainable management of mangroves in Sabah through the SFD-ISME collaboration on rehabilitation of degraded mangroves in Sabah. The first phase of the project with annual planting target of 50 ha/year (2011—2014) and second phase with annual planting target of 40 ha/year (2014-2019) of this collaborative project have successfully planted a total of 444,133 planting materials covering 351 hectares in eight Forestry Districts, within 23 planting sites of degraded mangroves forest reserves, throughout Sabah.

For the Phase Three of the project (2019—2024), the annual planting target is set at 35 hectares per year. Both parties will collaborate to ensure the successful implementation of the project. A total of 5.5 million yen will be remitted to SFD by ISME, in every calendar year, to support the expenditures of rehabilitation program in Sabah. To monitor the progress of the rehabilitation project, a Project Steering Committee (PSC) will meet twice a year to discuss the progress and implementation of project. The PSC Meeting is co-Chaired by the Chief Conservator of Forests of SFD and the Executive Director of ISME.

ISME is an international non-profit and non-governmental scientific society established in August 1990. With its headquarters in Okinawa, Japan, ISME was certified a Foundation in 1992 by the Japanese Law of Foundation. In 2003, under a new Japanese law of promoting specified non-profit activities, ISME was registered as a non-profit organization.

Prof. Shigeyuki Baba (fourth from right) presenting a mock cheque amounting to
5.5 million Japanese Yen to Haji Fadzil Haji Yahya, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests, Sabah Forestry Department

Revised at the Eight General Assembly in 2012 which was held in Sandakan, the Statutes of ISME stipulate that ‘the Society shall collect, evaluate and disseminate information on mangrove ecosystems’, and ‘shall promote international cooperation’.

ISME has been carrying out its activities at the global level through application of knowledge, training/environmental education and exchange of necessary information. Activities of the society have been supported through collaborations, and links with other organizations, universities, research institutes and local communities.

Currently, the membership of ISME includes 44 institutions and over 1,200 individuals from 94 countries.

The extension of this collaboration presents a great opportunity for SFD to further strengthen its capacity in mangrove management and rehabilitation activities. Phase Three of SFD-ISME collaborative project (2019—2024) will continue to be funded by the Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. Japan. Sabah is the first state in Malaysia to have such collaboration with ISME and SFD is honoured to be chosen by an international organization such as ISME for the project implementation.

In conjunction with the Third Phase MoU Signing between the SFD and ISME on Aug 23, Prof. Shigeyuki Baba has made a special effort in bringing volunteers from the funding agency i.e. the Tokio Marine Nichido (TMN) from Japan, to plant mangroves in Sabah as part of their green fingers project. The company regards the mangrove ecosystems as the insurance of the earth, hence has pledged to support mangrove rehabilitation since 1999 for the duration of 100 years.

Led by Senior Vice-President of the Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd, Makoto Okada, the staff members of TMN are all excited over the trip. SFD has made all the arrangements, including planting materials, to enable the participants to plant mangroves in Sulaman Wetlands, Tuaran and Pulau ISME in Weston, Beaufort. It is newsworthy that the funding agency has encouraged their staff members to come all the way from Japan to Sabah for voluntary planting of mangroves.

After the MoU signing, Prof Baba presented a mock cheque of 5.5 million yen to Haji Fadzil Haji Yahya, receiving on behalf of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Sabah, in support of mangrove rehabilitation in Sabah for the year 2019. The presentation ceremony was witnessed by all the committee members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) of the SFD-ISME collaboration project.