By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 28: Wilmar Plantations Sdn Bhd’s subsidiary, Saremas Sdn Bhd, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to carry out a comprehensive biodiversity survey of conservation areas within its oil palm plantations in Sarawak, with research running until March 2027.
According to a joint press release, the latest initiative marks a deepening of Wilmar and UNIMAS’s partnership, which began in 2014, and will involve detailed assessments of threatened medium- to large-sized mammals and bird species using camera traps.
“The collaboration aims to improve understanding of habitats, microhabitats, species richness, distribution, and ecology of conservation-important species; strengthen knowledge of local communities’ reliance on natural resources near High Conservation Value forests; increase indexed publications on biodiversity conservation in oil palm plantation settings; and nurture a new generation of graduate students equipped with practical expertise in biodiversity conservation within such landscapes,” it said.
According to UNIMAS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit, the study is expected to provide crucial insights into habitat and microhabitat use, species richness, distribution, and ecology of key wildlife.
He stressed that the findings could help pinpoint biodiversity hotspots, improve mapping accuracy, and guide the development of conservation corridors within plantation landscapes.
“This project will deepen our knowledge and understanding of wildlife biodiversity and conservation within a plantation landscape.
“It also offers a strategic opportunity to contribute scientific data that can guide sustainable land-use practices,” he said.
Wilmar Plantations’ Executive Director, Gurcharan Singh, noted that the company manages 1,725.35 hectares of conservation areas within its Saremas and Segarmas estates, protected by 29 full-time conservation rangers.
“Collaborating with UNIMAS brings valuable scientific insight to our conservation efforts.
“It enables us to strengthen evidence-based approaches and ensure our management practices are aligned with the long-term protection of endangered and threatened species,” he added.
A previous collaboration with UNIMAS led to the 2023 publication of “Bukit Durang: The Hidden Jewel of Ulu Suai, Sarawak”, which presented biodiversity findings in an accessible format for nature enthusiasts.
Bukit Durang itself is a 994-hectare conservation site located within Wilmar’s Sarawak estates. The book is available here. — DayakDaily
