Article: ‘Review EIA on shrimp farm’

Thursday July 30, 2009

By CHEW WAN YING

PETALING JAYA: The Department of Environment should review the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the proposed 1,000ha shrimp farm project in Terengganu, said Global Environment Centre director Faisal Parish.

The report on the project, known as the Integrated Shrimp Aquaculture Park (iSHARP) located in Penarik, near Setiu, was published on the department's website on July 28.

"It failed to mention a major environmental impact caused by the pumping of sea water into the river, said Faisal.

Sea water would have to be pumped into the breeding ponds, and discharging the sea water into the Setiu river would affect the river's salinity and ecological system, said Faisal.

"This issue should be highlighted in the report. Thailand is facing the same problem in tiger prawn farming. A new method was tried by pumping sea water into rice-field areas. It proved to be a failure when all rice crops died," he said.

He found it surprising that the report claimed that the project would have no significant impact to the environment.

"Here, we are talking about a 1,000ha project. The site is rich with 18 types of endangered species. It is a very high number and very unusual. It is also a breeding ground for terrapins and freshwater crocodiles, the latter especially rare in Malaysia.

"You should not carry out the project even if there is only one endangered species," he said, adding that he was also concerned about the scale of the project and its technical feasibility.

"This is a very large-scale project. Many aquaculture schemes have failed in the past. What is the basis for going on an even larger scale like this one? A cautious approach should be taken," he said.

A detailed EIA should take at least six months to prepare, he added.

"However, in the same website, the preliminary EIA report for the same project was dated April.

"Within such a short period, it is unlikely for them to have done any in-depth environmental study."

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 30 July 2009