Date Issued: 16 December 2009 For Immediate Release
RIVERBANK DEVELOPMENT THREATENS MALAYSIA’S CONGREGATING FIREFLY HABITATS
Malaysia is one of the few South-east Asian countries blessed with the presence of congregating fireflies along its rivers. These fireflies often congregate on ‘display trees’ along both sides of the mangrove-lined intertidal river and even up to 100 metres inland from the riverbank where they breed. The synchronous fireflies, one of the more well known amongst the congregating fireflies, is an ecotourism product which draws hundreds of tourists annually to the Kampung Kuantan area in Selangor thus contributing to the local and State economy.
The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) recently embarked on a six-month study to survey and document the current status of congregating firefly habitats in Peninsular Malaysia, a first of its kind here. MNS hopes that the results of this study will help to highlight the urgent need to improve river conservation to the Federal and State Government and agencies. This study is funded by the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.
Preliminary findings suggest that there are still many intact mangrove-lined rivers in Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Johor that support healthy congregating firefly populations. However, their populations have been reduced to a single or two localities in the States of Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Penang respectively. Most of the rivers in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka have been cleared and bunded, thus eliminating the congregating fireflies’ habitats.
Through the course of these surveys, it was evident that congregating firefly habitats continue to be threatened primarily by riverbank clearing, strong light source and river pollution. Riverbank vegetation is often cleared and bunds erected to establish aquaculture (shrimp) farms and agriculture e.g. oil palm plantations. Unregulated dumping of chemicals used in these activities often end up into the rivers. Light pollution along the rivers in the form of spotlights from the aquaculture farms, fish farms, sand mining dredges, ports and factories creates additional negative impacts. These activities threaten the congregating fireflies’ life cycle and survival.
“There are official records of 52 congregating firefly sites in Peninsular Malaysia of which 20 major rivers and tributaries have been surveyed to date and currently threatened by riverbank development as they are not protected. Of the remaining 32 rivers, some have been destroyed. The Sungai Linggi-Rembau firefly watching area is one such recent example,” says Sonny Wong, Senior Conservation Officer.
More disturbingly, healthy rivers that support congregating fireflies in the states mentioned above are also not spared as they face the possible threat in the form of flood mitigation measures. Although these projects have good intentions, they have affected several congregating firefly rivers previously such as Sungai Linggi-Rembau, Sungai Sedili Kecil, Sungai Johor and parts of Sungai Perak amongst others.
Thus, MNS would like to call upon the Federal and State Governments and its agencies to protect the remaining rivers that support congregating fireflies and re-examine its methods used in executing flood mitigation projects. The conservation of these rivers is not only important for the fireflies by also play crucial ecological functions. Furthermore, the presence of the fireflies in these rivers harbours ecotourism potentials. MNS hopes to present its final findings in due time to the relevant Federal and State Government agencies seek better solution(s) to conserve our congregating fireflies and its habitats.
It would be a national tragedy if the lights go out from these congregating fireflies in Peninsular Malaysia in the near future.
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A comparison between a degraded and intact riverbank
A degraded riverbank at Sungai Linggi, Negeri Sembilan (MNS/Usha Mathews)
An intact riverbank and habitat for congregating fireflies at Sungai Dedap, Perak. (MNS/Sonny Wong)
For more information, please contact:
Andrew J Sebastian, Head of Communications: hod.communications@mns.org.my
Yeap Chin Aik, Head of Conservation: hod.conservation@mns.org.my
Tel: + 60 3 2287 9422
Fax: + 60 3 2287 8773
URL: http://www.mns.org.my
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