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Aerial surveillance to detect illegal loggingIpoh, Perak State (Thursday, 10 April) : The Perak State Forestry Department will conduct a biannual aerial surveillance over its forests areas at the border with neighbouring states to detect the occurrence of illegal logging. Citing the recent case of illegal logging in Hutan Belum, Datuk Azahar Muda, the Director of the State Forestry Department deems the department’s planned aerial surveillance programme as an effective method to detect illegal logging activities. "This is a long-term programme to ensure that our forests, at the borders especially, are not illegally encroached by any party". He said that the air survey would be conducted at least twice a year. A follow-up investigation team would be sent to the area where illegal logging activity was suspected. Due to the high air craft operation costs, the survey could not be conducted more than twice a year, which was already a financial constraint to the department. Related to this, the forestry department had requested an allocation from the state government to conduct the aerial surveillance. The department also called for public cooperation and assistance to report information on suspected illegal logging activities to the department. The informant would be rewarded with 10% of the total compensation collected by the department. Azahar added that there had been no new developments regarding a logging company in Kelantan that a few months ago had illegally logged a 15 ha area in the Perak’s Belum Forest Reserve in Grik. The Perak State Forestry Department had requested assistance from the Kelantan Forestry Department on this matter. Perak Chief Minister Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said last week that his office would demand a compensation amounting to RM290,000 from the company concerned. Early investigation revealed that about 150 trees of various species, including the highly valued Meranti Bukit had been illegally harvested. The Forestry Department had confirmed through map inspection and survey that the area was within Perak state. The department then conducted an aerial survey to further confirm the exact location involved. It is understood that the area that had been encroached since last October, which was initially thought to be within the State Park area was actually on the reserve land of the East-West Highway at the Perak-Kelantan border, as it was within the 2.4 km range from the road. [Translation of news article originally written in Bahasa Malaysia] |
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