KOTA KINABALU: Mangrove forest conservation in Sabah will be given a boost with the state government set to launch an action plan.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the government will launch the Sabah Mangrove Action Plan to transform the management and conservation of mangrove forests.

He said the state Cabinet endorsed the plan at its weekly meeting on Wednesday (July 24).

The action plan, he noted, was crucial since some 60% or 378,195ha of the country's mangrove forests were found in Sabah.

"Sabah has the largest mangrove forests in Malaysia, so it is important that we have an action plan to serve as a guide on management and conservation," he said at the Chief Minister's Department post-Cabinet meeting.

"It also aligns with the Blue Carbon initiative, a global programme to focus on the conservation and preservation of the seaside ecosystem for climate, biodiversity and prosperity of the people," Hajiji added.

The Chief Minister said the Cabinet was also informed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and non-disclosure agreement have been signed between the Sabah Biodiversity Centre and Yayasan PETRONAS for the five-year seaweed mapping project and community initiative.

He added the collaboration was expected to provide a complete seaweed distribution map in Sabah to be used as a reference for the conservation, protection and sustainable development of the ecosystem.

At the same time, he said, the community initiative by the state government through the Sabah Biodiversity Centre and Yayasan PETRONAS would involve communities living in the marine and seaweed ecosystem areas in conservation and awareness efforts.

"It will also contribute to the Sabah government's Blue Economy initiative," Hajiji said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/24/sabah-to-launch-mangrove-forest-action-plan-soon