March 31, 2018 @ 8am.
KOTA KINABALU: Rubbish is choking the mangrove’s natural system, trapping trash – discarded by people - in water bodies.
Plastic bottles, according to Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society conservation and Science officer Mohd Nurazmeel Mokhtar, accounted to 80 percent of all items washed over into the 24-hectare Kota Kinabalu Wetlands, located in the heart of city.
“It is difficult to identify the exact location of where the rubbish came from.
“But we have installed two rubbish traps here which help to filter out large items such as car tyres and other household items,” said the staff of society which manages the wetlands.
Besides plastic bottles, a check at the wetlands here also saw items such as slippers, buckets, a polystyrene cooler box, a ball, a wine bottle among others.
Mohd Nurazmeel said those waste in long term, especially plastic items, will emit harmful chemical substance and affect water quality.
He added the trash has also become an eyesore to visitors who come to swamp area that supports 30 mangrove species, 90 species of resident and migratory birds, as well as a nursery ground for 21 species of fish and aquatic species.
The wetlands, which has designated as the country’s seventh Wetland of International Importance in March last year, registered approximately 9,000 local and international tourists annually.
There are an average of three volunteering works which usually involve schools, to collect these rubbish every month.
However, right after that, the high tide will still bring in another batch of rubbish to the wetlands.
The management nonetheless has deliberately left some old rubbish, such as detergent bottles trapped among the roots of mangrove trees.
“Those rubbish were likely left by people from the nearby squatter area of about 200 households before the wetland is being developed as conservation area.
“We leave the bottles there as they are to spread awareness to the public (that the plastic is non-biodegradable and will stay for many years).”
While the trash at a managed wetland area is already difficult to handle, other swamp sites around here are even worse.
A survey at nearby mangrove area in Kampung Rampayan in Manggatal also reflects similar situation whereby the people who go down to the swamp areas to find bivalve mollusks also spotted used television and helmet among other trash.
Meanwhile, another non-governmental organisation Trash Hero Borneo co-founder Monica Chin agreed that plastic bottles are the most collected during its regular beach and reef cleanups.
“Instead of blaming others, we need to change our mind set and when every one of us stop littering, there will be no or less trash.
“The least we could do is by using own water bottle, stop using plastic straws and bring our own reusable shopping bags,” she stressed.
Comments
Post a Comment