The Penang government must carry out a comprehensive study before relocating all migratory bird nests at the Koay Jetty mangrove area in George Town inner city to an existing bird colony in Sungai Keluang mangrove area along the southern coast of the island, said a local academic.

Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Biological Science dean Prof Dr Mashhor Mansor said that relevant authorities should first carry out a study to determine the feasibility and viability of the relocation.

Secondly, the study must make recommendations on appropriate measures to be taken to ensure that the migratory birds currently inhabiting in Koay Jetty would move to the Sungai Keluang colony.

The study must find out the reasons behind the birds' natural preference for the Koay Jetty mangrove as their home especially when larger mangrove areas exist in Sungai Keluang and Balik Pulau on the island.

"Otherwise, the state government efforts to preserve the birds in another mangrove area would be futile because the birds will choose another area, perhaps in another country," Mashhor told malaysiakini .

Don't move

However, the academic would rather prefer the state government not to move the bird nests because to preserve the originality of George Town, which was once a mangrove island.

"Moreover, the migratory birds chose the Koay Jetty mangrove area as their colony so many years ago through their natural instinct.

"It would not be a right move to force the birds to change their natural home," he added.

State Housing, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee Chairperson Syed Amerrudin Syed Ahmad told malaysiakini early this week that the bird nests would be moved to the Sungai Keluang mangrove area near Batu Maung to preserve rare species of migratory birds, including the black crowned knight-heron, which currently inhabit the Koay Jetty mangrove.

The Wildlife Department will facilitate the relocation by this year before the mangrove area and two Chinese clan jetties in inner George Town, Koay and Peng Aun, are demolished to make way for a new township.

"The state government will exhaust all ways and means to preserve the birds on the island. The wildlife department will move the nests to the Sungai Kluang mangrove area, which has long been a home for many migratory birds," Syed Amerrudin said.

The Koay Jetty mangrove is the home to 30 species of birds, including northern migratory birds, a vast majority of which are protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Act.

The Koay clan jetty mangrove is also the second largest nesting colony, after a huge mangrove area in Parit, Perak, for an estimated 500 resident black crowned knight-heron.

The jetties have been proposed by the state government for demolition to pave the way for a grand plan to turn the area into a new commercial-cum-housing and transport hub at the south-eastern part of the city by the end of 2007.

Despite objections from the Preserve Koay Jetty Support Group, the Penang Island Municipal Council approved the project plan, which is part of the state government's efforts to rejuvenate George Town, now considered a "ghost town" since the Control of Rent (Repeal) Act 1997 was enforced.

Both jetties are situated in a row of eight early Chinese clan jetty settlements located between the ferry terminal and Lebuh Noordin flat. The other jetties of Lim, Chew, Tan, Lee, New and Yeoh clans have been earmarked within the heritage zone demarcated in George Town and will be preserved.

Natural inhabitants

Malaysian Nature Society Penang branch chairperson D Kandakumar concurred with Mashhor that both the mangrove area and bird nests should be preserved at Koay Jetty.

"Migratory birds rarely move from their home of natural choice to another colony chosen by others. Birds choose their homes naturally, not by force," he said.

He added that it would be a lost to the Penang people if the state government failed to preserve the Koay Jetty mangrove, which is George Town's last surviving eastern coastline mangrove swamps and an important eco-system balance act in the area.

Kandakumar also hit out at the authorities for branding those opposing the move to tear down the mangrove area as "outsiders".

He reminded that the Koay Jetty mangrove migratory birds were part of the island's natural inhabitants.

"Therefore it is the duty for all Penang people, especially the state government to protect both the mangrove and birds," he said.

ATHI VEERANGGAN is malaysiakini 's Penang-based stringer.