By Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS, Editor, Malaysian Bird Report & Ron Pudin, President, Sabah Bird Watchers Association
Tanjung Aru Beach, located on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu city, Sabah, is very popular both with locals and visitors. A visit to Tanjung Aru Beach will show you why it is much loved. It is an idyllic beach with tall old Casuarina trees, lovely sand and some of the most magnificent sunsets in the world. Its proximity to Kota Kinabalu city makes Tanjung Aru Beach a great place to bring the family and have a peaceful day out. Many tourists visit the site daily.
Equally important is that Tanjung Aru Beach is home to an endangered parrot, the Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis). These uncommon parrots can be easily found around Tanjung Aru Beach and regularly draw many local and international bird watchers. Bird Life International lists this species as Near Threatened. Estimates of the population size of this narrow range parrot are very old and probably inaccurate but could be as low as 1,500 worldwide. Bird Life International states that population numbers are decreasing due to trapping and forest loss. The population of the Blue-naped Parrot at Tanjung Aru Beach is maintained but small at around 30-50, due to competition with other birds for the nesting holes in the old, beach-side Casuarina trees.
Many other birds also use the location including hornbills and imperial pigeons. Tanjung Aru Beach also serves as a ‘safe harbour’ and first point of land for many bird species, some rare ones, during the annual bird migration from Russia, China, Japan and Korea.
There have been a number of attempts to ‘develop’ the location with plans for many hotels, a golf retreat and a marina. Local conservation groups have frequently raised concerns about the project, its environmental impact and being unfriendly to the public. The Environment Protection Department, Sabah has an Environmental Impact Assessment document for the Tanjung Aru Beach development. The report acknowledges that development at the site will significantly and irreversibly impact birds and other wildlife during construction.
The suggestion has been to relocate the parrots and hornbills, transplant the old trees and offer nesting boxes at an alternate site. It is uncertain if this will succeed and at the very least will require years of work and considerable expertise.
We call on the local authorities and Sabah government to cancel all projects in the Tanjung Aru Beach area. We can always get a new site for hotels, a golf course and a marina but cannot afford to lose both this rare parrot species and a wonderful location for families to have a day out. It would be good for Malaysia to be recognised as a country that saves endangered species rather than one that destroys the environment.
