our lil field trip

In KKWC, the boarder is shared with a housing area that seems to be put up without much concern of its effects on the mangrove ecosystem nearby. Due to the lack of education and awareness, we actually witness first-hand the young children trespassing into the KKWC boundaries to collect shell fish as a source of food. Even though the management (SWCS) as placed warning signs multiple times, it always goes missing. Same with the metal fences they erect to keep out trespassers. Police reports cannot do anything as they have no legal right to convict the trespassers without a warning sign board nearby as prove of efforts to inform them not to do so.

Our guide was greatly distressed as she called out loudly multiple times to ask them to go away but all she was answered with was a rude and arrogant remark. The young village boys just did not bother about her and continued collecting their produce. One of the children even was carrying a parang (machete).

Although personally I don’t think they are causing much harm as they were just 4 little children. The greater destruction comes from big conglomerate companies who barge into wetlands with heavy machinery costing millions of Ringgit. They are the ones who destroy nature’s wetlands in the name of development. Those who support the development of shopping malls and concrete buildings are non-other than us locals. However it is the administrative bodies that have to certify and clarify the development plans giving them the green light to go ahead with their destruction.

So rather than blaming the kids for mangrove degradation, the bigger bully to me would be the rich and greedy developers who bribe environmental consultants without integrity. Why do we willingly take “gifts and fruit baskets” which are meant to show sincerity in our joy to work with each other? It is because of the system that we’ve grown up in. Bribery is ingrained into our culture.

Which will go on to the next point of the Anti-Bribery commission not really doing its job, which would lead to a whole other discussion about their ‘contribution’ to wetland degradations.

If I were a conservation officer, the first thing on my mind on how to conserve and protect the remaining wetland areas is this: social forestry. I believe in the community to protect what benefits them. Apart from policies and law enforcement by the government. I believe that the local community around the wet land areas can do much more help. Especially in looking out for illegal loggers or poachers. Yes they may come in once in a while to collect shell fish, but this only rightfully due to them as they reap the harvest for protecting what feeds them.

                The real destroyers are development companies, and the ones that can effectively fight against them are the petitions of the local communities who base their livelihood off the mangrove areas. Take for example the little children we saw in KKWC. They do less harm than and money greedy developer would do at the minimal scale. The children are the ones who are brave and tread through the waters knowing the mangrove area as their home. Developers come in knowing nothing about the species richness and how precious the land they are trotting underfoot.

                Thus if I were an officer, I would get the locals to be involved with conservation efforts by educating them and bringing awareness. I would marco-manage wetlands and leave the micro-managing to the local communities. its not all about writing reports and paperwork, its about knowing how to live and love the forest that brings us life.