KUCHING: Teluk Bako-Buntal has gained international recognition through its nomination as Malaysia’s first Flyway site (EAAF112) under the East-Asian Australasia Flyway Partnership (EAAFP).
As such, the state government is planning to gazette it as a national park or natural reserve as its location is one of the 55 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) in the nation.
Deputy Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said this is an effort by the government to ensure that the habitat needed by the migratory birds can be protected from outside threats.
“If we were to establish a development in the areas where the birds use for transit, it will greatly affect these species as they do not have a place to stop after flying so far (from the northern to the southern areas and vice versa).
“Furthermore, when we look at the current climate change, it is a very serious threat to these migratory birds because many habitats have undergone certain development.
“Therefore, we gazette Teluk Bako-Buntal so that no development is developed in the area including roads and others,” he said, adding that the gazetted area will benefit the community in the area as well.
He said this when met by the media after officiating the World Migratory Bird Day at the State Library today (Oct 15).
Adding on, he noted that in Sarawak, there is an area known as the Selabat Mudflats Nature Reserve (SMNR) which was gazetted in 2015.
He said that the SMNR is part of the Teluk Bako-Buntal which is located on the EAAFP for migratory birds and has been recognised as a very important site for these birds to lay their eggs.
These migratory birds fly from America and Alaska to Australia and New Zealand during the winter to the northern part.
“A few of these migratory birds will fly directly to their destination, however, most will stop along the way including here.
“Among the species of these migratory birds that often stop at Bako-Buntal are the shorebirds including the Great Knot, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Far Eastern Curlew and Chinese Egret,”he said.
