Kuantan Waterfront Resort City project will not affect mangrove forest

KUANTAN: The Kuantan Waterfront Resort City (KWRC) project along the Kuantan river will not affect the mangrove forest in the area said state Basic Amenities and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Soffi Abdul Razak.
Mohd Soffi said no licence had been issued for any logging activities in the mangrove forest.
"The logging licence is not issued because it (the mangrove forest) is not classified as production forest. In fact, the Pahang Forestry Department will also carry out inventory work in the forest. If there is any endangered plant species, we will recommend to the authorities to conserve the area and also transfer the species to a more suitable place," he said.
Mohd Soffi said this in reply to a question from Lee Chean Chung (PKR-Semambu) on measures taken by the state government to preserve mangrove forests in Kuantan following the KWRC project at the Pahang state Legislative Assembly sitting in Wisma Sri Pahang, here today.
He said the mangrove forest in Kuantan which covers a total area of 1,258ha comprised the Kuantan Forest Reserve, the Peramu Forest Reserve, the Cherating Forest Reserve, the Balok Forest Reserve and the Bebar Forest Reserve.
"The state government is also actively implementing the replanting programme since 2005 and to date, 66,682 trees have been planted in 117.11ha," he said. — Bernama