100 Years Matang Mangroves, Perak
(4
October 2004)

Click on covers above to enlarge.
Besides plants, the mangrove habitat also houses a
large number of animals, from the most minute (zooplankton) to the
largest reptile, i.e. the Estuarine crocodile. One of the most
commonly found inhabitants of the mangrove forest is the long-tailed
macaque-Macaca fascicularis. These monkeys invade the mangrove forest
during the falling tide to feed on crabs and shellfish.
The Gedabu fruit Sonneratia ovata or more commonly
known as the Mangrove apple can be eaten by man and it is also a
favorite of the Painted Terrapin. The fruit can be made into juice
and also used for the treatment of sprains, bleeding and
hemorrhoid. Its wood can be used as firewood, poles and in the
construction of houses. In addition, insects such as moth can be found
throughout the mangrove forest.
There are 28 fishing villages in the vicinity of the
Matang Mangroves. Besides fishing in the sea, the fishermen also carry
out aquaculture farming, i.e. breeding of fish in cages and cockle
farming. The cockles (Anadara granosa) were first commercially farmed
by the village headman in Bagan Panchor, Perak, in 1984. Cockles from
Matang fetch a good price in neighboring countries such as Thailand,
Singapore and Indonesia.
The Matang Mangroves environment is a very productive
ecosystem. It supports the food chains of various wildlife comprising
fish, crustaceans, birds, small mammals and invertebrates. It is the
feeding ground for birds such as the Lesser adjutant-Leptoptilos
javanicus and Brahminy kite-Haliastur indus. These birds eat various
types of food, including plankton, aquatic plants, worms, crustaceans,
molluscs and fish.
In addition, migratory birds also make pit stops at
the Matang Mangroves to feed before flying on to New Zealand or to
stay there for winter. These birds include the Eurasian Duck-Anas
penelope, Chinese egretta eulophotes, Common sandpiper-Actitis
hypoleucos and many more.
!00 Years Matang Mangroves, Perak
If an area that has been worked on contains less than 90% of
natural seedlings, replanting will be carried out on the area. Two
species that are commonly planted are Bakau minyak-Rhizophora
apiculata and Bakau kurap-Rhizophora mucronata at a spacing of 1.2m x
1.2m and 1.8m x 1.8m respectively. Present planting involves the
prescription of bare root propagules and potted seedling as planting
materials, depending on suitability of the sites and the presence of
pests.
Technical Details
Date of Issue |
4 October 2004 |
Denomination |
30 sen (se-tenant)RM1(se-tenant) |
Stamp Size |
30mm X 40mm |
Miniature Sheet
Denomination |
RM2.00 |
Miniature Sheet
Size |
100mm X 70mm |
Stamp Size in
Miniature Sheet |
30mm X 40mm |
Perforation |
14 |
Sheet Content |
20 stamps |
Paper |
Watermarked Phosphor Coated |
Printing Process |
Lithography |
Source :
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