Productivity and Cost Analysis of Forest Harvesting Operation in Matang Mangrove Forest, Perak, Malaysia

Matang Mangrove Forest is under systematic management since 1902 and still considered as the best managed mangrove forest in the world. This research was conducted to measure the time and productivity of forest harvesting operation and also to analyze the cost and revenue of mangrove forest harvesting operation at Matang mangrove forest. This project had been carried out in cooperation with Seri Sepetang Enterprise, one of the harvesting licenses in Kuala Sepetang, Perak. Data collections were taken in every station starting from standing tree until to the Kiln-Drying jetty. The data then calculated by using the formulas of productivity and cost analysis. As the result, the productivity for felling, bucking and debarking, the manual skidding using wheel-barrow and the water transportation are 1.84 tan/hour, 3.82 tan/hour and 4.64 tan/hour respectively. The cost for each operation of 9 tan log volume for felling, bucking and debarking, the manual skidding using wheel-barrow and the water transportation are RM 56.88, RM 10.80 and RM 36.72 respectively. As the revenue, the company paid RM 260 per 9 tan of log for the in-forest operation (felling, manual skidding and loading to the ship) and pay RM 80 per 9 tan for the water transportation, and they gained the net profit of RM 192.32 and RM 43.28 respectively. The average of forest harvesting operation is twice operation in a day (equal with 2 x 9-ton volume of log production a day), so they will gain a double profit. In conclusion, the forest harvesting operation is sustainably managed for supplying the raw material of charcoal industries in Matang mangrove forest. Since, they work manually and spend much energy in this forest harvesting operation, so for further study it recommends to conduct the ergonomics evaluation during forest harvesting operation at Matang Mangrove Forest

The EANET challenges on catchment-scale monitoring in Asian forests

Atmospheric deposition is still one of the major environmental issues in Asia. The joint research projects for catchment-scale analysis have been conducted in a tropical rainforest (Danum Valley, Malaysia), tropical seasonal forest (Sakaerat, Thailand) and temperate coniferous forest (Kajikawa, Japan) for future monitoring in EANET. In Kajikawa site, the possibility of nitrogen saturation was suggested by the largest level of nitrogen deposition. In tropical forests, acid buffering capacity of the ecosystems was higher in Danum Valley site than in Sakaerat site. The data in different climates will be useful for biogeochemical model as it may contribute to atmospheric management

Fishermen community and livelihoods status of Kuala Nyalau, Bintulu, Sarawak

Coastal artisanal fishery holds an important place in the socioeconomic improvement and livelihoods opportunity of the coastal community of Kuala Nyalau, Bintulu, Sarawak. It is documented as powerful income and employment generator as it motivates growth of a number of subsidiary businesses, and is a source of low-priced and healthy food. Socio-economic study results showed that the majorities (95%) of the community are fishermen, and fishing is the main activities followed by agriculture (palm oil and house hold orchard) and business. Fin fish is the main fishery item while about 100 types of fin fish species are caught and landed in this fisherman village round the year. Observation found that majority of the fishermen used the standard mesh size of nets to catch the fish like Parastromateus niger (black pomfret; 5 inches mesh), Euthynnus affinis (kawakawa ; 4 inches mesh), Scomberomorus commerson (mackerel; 4 inches mesh) and Rastralliger brachysoma (short body mackerel; 2.25 inches mesh). Studies on fisherman community also discovered that the catches using small pull net (pukat tarik; 1 inch mesh) by certain number of fishermen may have the negative impacts on the fishery resources in this coastal area. Therefore, more investigation is needed to know the impacts of pull net on fishery resources. In addition, the awareness activity among the fishermen on this destructive fishing activity could help to manage the fishery resources in the coastal environment of South China Sea