Confirming this today, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Junz Wong said the decision was made after weighing the long-term impact the destruction of the mangroves could bring to the environment in the area.

“The destruction of valuable natural environment assets is irreversible. We do not want to exchange our valuable assets with wealth through uncontrolled agricultural and economic development,” he said.

The Pitas Shrimp Park was launched in 2014. It involved a total investment of RM1.23 billion, with private investment of RM963 million and RM268.2 million from the National Key Economic Area (NKEA).

The project would have seen Pitas becoming the home of the biggest shrimp farm project in the country, comprising 1,500 shrimp ponds on 1,335ha of mostly mangrove areas.

It was expected to be fully operational this year, bringing in an annual turnover of RM300 million in the near future.

The project was also expected to create 3,000 well-paying jobs for the locals.

Wong said while he realised the merits of the project, he found it necessary to retract the approved additional 400ha of mangroves even though it was promised for the project in the past.

“I will not approve this as long as I remain the minister of this ministry. I will protect the mangrove reserves.”

He admitted the project had benefitted the locals economically and as such won’t be stopped entirely.

He pointed out the farm will be complemented with several other facilities, including a processing plant, which could provide more jobs for the people there.

“The farm will continue operating. But I always believe there is a need to find a balance between protecting the environment and pursuing progress.”

Asked how well the farm was operating, Wong said more time was needed to observe the progress.

“Overall, I think it is a good project as they’ve promised to employ the locals to work for them.”

Wong said although he is sad about the 930ha already used for the shrimp farm, he cannot do anything about it now.

“The farm is operating well and they are contributing to Sabah’s economy. However, I have told the company to forget about the remaining 400ha.

“They will not get it even if the previous government had approved it. The state government does not have to compensate them for that.”

Last year, Sunlight Inno Seafood Sdn Bhd CEO Wong King Ti, who operates the farm, said the farm had the capacity to produce between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes of shrimp per annum.

Once its processing plant is completed, the company expected to hire as many as 3,200 workers, more than 75% of whom would be for people from Pitas.

Pitas is one of the poorest districts in Sabah due to its geographical isolation and the general unsuitability of the land for agriculture.

The previous state government saw the Pitas Shrimp Park as one of the catalysts for the economic development in the district and to bring the people out of poverty.

However, the project also received severe criticism from environmentalists who said the huge clearing of mangroves had badly affected the area’s ecosystem.

The villagers claimed their livelihood had been severely affected because their usual fishing grounds were now gone.