KUCHING, May 17: All Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) including national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in Sarawak are to be closed effective tomorrow (May 18) until June 7 except selected nature reserves in Kuching, Miri and Limbang opened only for physical exercise or jogging.
Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), in announcing this, said all guided, unguided ecotourism tours, trekking, picnicking, seminars, workshops and any recreational activities are prohibited within this period.
“In complying with the government SOP (standard operating procedure) and directives, all TPAs are closed for visitation until June 7, except for Sama Jaya Nature Reserve Kuching, Piasau Nature Reserve Miri and Bukit Sembiling Nature Reserve Limbang (only for exercise and jogging),” it said in a Facebook post today.
For the three selected nature reserves, SFC emphasised that the operating hours would be limited from 7am to 6pm with a short break at the middle of the day from 11am to 2pm.
In the meantime, it noted that the visitor capacity should be at a maximum of 50 per cent at any one time with not more than 10 persons per group allowed, or a maximum of 100 persons depending on the discretion of the park wardens.
SFC also said visitors, before entering any nature reserves, must obtain their respective admission cards while strictly complying with other SOPs such as the wearing of face masks where necessary, physical distancing and thorough hand-washing. — DayakDaily
