The Malaysian Nature Society, Penang calls upon the authorities, both the Penang Municipal Council and the State Government to be more pro active, before it is too late, to save the last remaining inner city mangrove of George Town at the Koay Clan Jetty.

                                                       Summary

Coastal mangroves, which were historically part and parcel of George Town, have all but disappeared through land conversion and reclamation. The mangrove, at the Koay Clan Jetty, although small in area, is the last remaining, fairly healthy, mangrove in George Town and it is right in the inner city. The few other small pockets of mangroves along the Jelutong and Tanjong Tokong coastline will disappear once the ongoing coastal reclamation projects are completed. The mangrove at the Koay Clan Jetty will be all that is left of what was once a vast mangrove ecosystem, which was part of the coastline of the eastern shores of Penang Island. As such, it imperative that we save and protect this last piece of natural environment that is representative of the historical natural heritage of George Town. Globally not many cities can boast of a mangrove environment within the city.

The heronry of the Black-crowned Night-heron at the clan jetty mangrove is of great importance as it is the second largest colony in Peninsular Malaysia reported so far with over 500 individuals. This species has been displaced from its nesting site far too often. The colony at Century Gardens at Batu Uban that was successful for a number of years was destroyed to make way for housing development. The birds then unsuccessfully attempted to nest behind the Batu Uban/Minden army camp, after which they moved to the Tanjong Tokong mangroves that again proved unsuitable due to the coastal reclamation project there. Finally they have settled at the Koay Clan Jetty mangrove. The nesting colony has been at this site for 3 years and the number of birds nesting is the highest so far compared to the Batu Uban and Tanjong Tokong sites.

The mangroves are not only home to 38 species of birds but also to other small animals, insects, mud skippers (a fish with lungs), monitor lizards, fiddler crabs and organisms thus enriching the bio-diversity of George Town. Only a detailed study will revel the total number of species in this area.

Another important beneficial aspect of the mangrove at the Koay Clan Jetty that cannot be ignored, is that, it can be turned into an educational inner city park, to educate and create awareness, on nature and the environment, among the young children from the numerous schools in the city. The children can be exposed to, and have first hand experience about the plant and animal community of a mangrove environment.

                                                    Tourist Potential

Ecosystem

The Koay Clan Jetty Mangrove has great potential as a tourist destination for visitors to George Town. The mangrove is within walking distance from the city centre and visitors, especially foreigners, can experience the tropical mangrove environment and the wildlife it supports. Since George Town was built on what was once mangrove land the preservation of this mangrove adds greater value to George Town as a heritage city. We can showcase how a modern city can be built and thrive but still manage to preserve a part of its original natural environment. The living presence of people in the houses of the clan jetty adds greater value to the area as an inner city tourist destination.

Wildlife - Birds

A baseline survey of the birds at the Koay Clan Jetty indicates that there are more then 38 species and many of them are migrant species. This mangrove area holds the largest nesting colony of Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (a totally protected species) in Penang Island. A survey in February 2004 indicated there were about 250 to 300 birds and a count conducted in March 2004 indicated there were more then 500 birds. This puts this nesting colony second to the largest colony in the Parit area of Perak. The nesting colony in Rawang, Selangor has just over 200 birds. Some of the other resident bird species include the Common Koel Eudynamys scolopacea a species that is a natural biological control for the House Crow Corvlus splendens, Little Heron Butorides striatus, White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus, Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus, Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala – the only species of barbet in Penang Island and Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica, which is increasingly becoming rare in urban George Town. The Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis, not normally found in the city except occasionally in the outskirts has also been recorded in this area. The Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris, a “mangrove specialist species” on Penang Island, is another species that is rare in George Town.

Migratory birds species from as far as China and Siberia also inhabit this mangrove area. Species such as Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis, Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica, Common Redshank Tringa totanus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos all contribute towards the diversity of bird species of George Town.

Again the high number of bird species in such a small area is another added attraction for inner city visitors. The Koay Clan Jetty Mangrove being only a short distance away from the city’s hotel belt can be easily promoted to tourists as an additional destination along the heritage trail, where they will be able to witness the type of environment that once existed in George Town and how much the city has progressed. The mangrove and the houses on the Koay Clan Jetty as a unit will show and educate the visitors on how we have preserved part of our original environment and co-existed without destroying it.

Education

The conservation of this mangrove will create another avenue for the many schools in the city. School children can go on field trips to learn more about a mangrove ecosystem. The mangroves can be turned into an educational inner city park, to educate and create awareness, on nature and the environment. The children can be exposed to, and have first hand experience on how a community can co-exist with a natural environment and instill in them the need for sustainable development that can be achieved through foresight and careful planning. Children can be taught that development and conservation can work hand in hand complementing each other for a sustainable environment that people can live in.

Baiqi Koay Cultural Revitalization Ad-hoc Committee, with the assistance of the Malaysian Nature Society has produced a booklet on the common birds at the Koay Clan mangrove. Schools with the help of the booklet can organise trips to the mangroves so that the school children can learn to identify some of the common birds found here and be educated on the important role birds play in maintaining a healthy environment and what biodiversity is all about. It is important that school children are exposed to these concepts at a young age and not just learn about it in the classroom but to experience it first hand in the field. The mangroves at the Koay Jetty is ideal for this as it is easily accessible and within a short traveling distance from many schools.

Recreation

The residents of George Town are among the few privileged city communities, to have such a mangrove environment and wildlife right at their doorsteps. The mangroves are not only a green lung for the inner city it can also act as a recreational area for the residents to take a walk round the mangroves to view the wildlife there. As the population density in the Weld Quey and Macallum Street area will definitely keep increasing in the coming years the need for open spaces will become critical and the mangrove area will help to elevate this problem. With proper planning the mangroves can be developed into an educational and neighbourhood park and double as a refuge for wildlife.

Conclusion

Development can still be carried out in the area as the mangrove environment is occupying only a small area. Development activity can be planned around the mangrove in such a way that the section of the mangroves where the herons nest is left intact and the inlet/outlet channel is maintained. The inlet/outlet channel needs to be cleared of the unwanted vegetation and the debris that is currently chocking the flow. The debris and solid waste in the mangroves originate from upstream discards and waste washed in from the sea. Solid waste traps built upstream and downstream of the mangroves will solve the problem of waste from being washed in.

Kanda Kumar

Chairman

Malaysian Nature Society Penang

10th April 2004