Replenishing riverine fish stocks via tagang system

ACROSS Sarawak, riverine fish face many threats associated with human activities, including altered hydrology, migration barriers, fisheries exploitation, riparian and flood plain alteration, environmental change and introduction of invasive species.

Collectively, these threats have made riverine fish some of the most threatened taxa on our shore.

The king of the riverine fish – the kelah or Golden Mahseer or empurau – for example, is probably Malaysia’s most expensive fish but to catch one of a decent size is an angler’s dream nowadays.

It’s now becoming harder to catch even other popular riverine fish, including semah as most of the big species seem to be on the road to extinction.

The depleting freshwater fish in the state’s rivers need urgent preservation for the survival of the important species and the health of the river system.

So far, the best system to preserve the important species seems to be the riverine tagang (restricted in Iban) system.

The Sarawak Forest Department has acknowledged the importance of this system, taking some initiative to implement the native tradition of preserving and protecting fish stocks for the benefit of the villages within the totally protected areas (TPA).

The system is basically very simple. A village looks after a stretch of water close to them.

The villagers themselves are the policemen. They do not allow anyone to fish or net in the waters and they do not pollute the river.

Once a year or in two years, they may harvest the fish for the benefit of the whole village.

Harvesting is done responsibly. All the small fish as well as those of breeding size will be released back into the water to ensure the survival of the fish.

The Sarawak Forest Department incepted the first tagang programme in 2009 with local villagers in Ulu Sungai Engkari, Julau.

Recently, it launched its second project in Sungai Sugai, Rantau Tapang, Ulu Mujok.

Both rivers are within the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (LEWS).

Sarawak Forest Department deputy director Wan Shradini Wan Salleh said some RM40,000 had been spent on developing both projects.

He said the yield at Sungai Engkari had been very encouraging and hoped the programmes at the two rivers would set a good example for the other longhouses within LEWS.

The project at Sungai Sugai, which will be managed by the villagers at Rumah Anthony Bau, was launched by Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh.

The 19-door Rumah Anthony Bau is about 40km from Sibu and accessible by river or logging track. A one-way river journey to the longhouse from Nanga Entabai in Julau takes between three and four hours.

Len said the tagang system was aimed at raising awareness of conservation and the community’s commitment to improving rivers for fish production.

He added that it also created a sense of responsibility in preventing, controlling and reducing pollution of the rivers to preserve the natural environment for future generations.

He pointed out that to implement the first programme at Sungai Engkari was not easy as there was strong objection from the locals.

“However, after we brought some of them, including the Tuai Rumah, to Sabah to see the system for themselves, they were impressed and receptive of our proposal.

“The second programme at Sungai Sugai was implemented at the request of Rumah Anthony Bau.”

Len believed if earnestly implemented, the tagang system could generate good income not only in terms of fish sales but also eco-tourism revenue.

He said in Sabah, for example, the implementation of tagal system at Kampung Poturidong Kiulu, managed to generate more than RM100,000 income annually for the villagers.

So far, over 200 tagal systems had been set up in Sabah, he added.

The tagal system in Sabah is defined as a smart-partnership between the local community and the Sabah state government in protecting and reviving the depleting freshwater fishery resource in the state.

The system empowers the local community through Native Customary Law and the Sabah Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Enactment to protect, revive and then harvest the fish in a sustainable manner.

In this system, the harvested fish are equally shared among the registered members of the community.

The traditional precept of tagal in Sabah started with riverine territorial demarcation to exploit riverine resources for a villager living within the vicinity of a river.

The genesis of the modern precept of tagal started by focusing on river-cum-fish conservation.

River rehabilitation and a growing fish population led to the taming of the fish which eventually transformed into fish massaging.

The modern precept of tagal evolves into not only riverine conservation as it also encompasses ecotourism with the participation of local communities.

Ecotourism first started life with fish massaging and later extended to jungle trekking and homestay programme with the latest being tagal fish competition.

Studies conducted in Sabah indicate the tagal system has benefitted environmental conservation.

Holistic river management means the upper and lower reaches of the river must be conserved.

Like the tagal system in Sabah, the tagang system in Sarawak too involves a strategic partnership between the local community and the Forest Department or Fisheries Department of Sarawak as the lead agency.

This has eventually given birth to co-management.

Co-management empowers the local community by its close involvement in monitoring, policing and conservation efforts, as economic benefits are dependent on a conserved riverine environment.

Co-management in the development of ecotourism has a symbiotic effect as both the local community as well as environmental conservation will eventually be in sync.

It is reported there are now 23 villages across Sarawak that have adopted the tagang system as part of river conservation as well as economic and livelihood security.

The tagang system at Sungai Sugai is just one of the projects undertaken by the Sarawak Forest Department to sustain the community-based project, sponsored by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) in LEWS several years ago.

In collaboration with the Forest Department, it has successfully implemented a Community Development project in the buffer zone, actively involving local communities in various activities such as rearing of indigenous fish, cultivating of indigenous plants and training in some kinds of basic technical knowledge in agro-forestry, fish culture, park and wildlife management.

ITTO project leader Dr Paul Chai said ITTO would continue to support the Forest Department in its attempt to extend the tagang system within the LEWS or other totally protected areas (TPAs).

He said as long as there are right rivers available and the locals are willing to adopt such a programme in their areas, Sarawak Forestry should consider implementing more such programmes in the near future for sustainability.

“Their priority may be rivers within the TPAs. Based on our experience, the tagang system has proven effective in reducing people’s dependence on forest.

“Moreover, it inculcates a sense of ownership among the locals. When they adopt the tagang system, they will make sure outsiders or intruders do not enter or catch the fish in the conserved areas.”

Chai, a former botanist with the Sarawak Forest Department, said what the locals got from the fish was not so important but the culture or the software was.

The tagang system helped to change the mindset of the local people.

“Now, they are more receptive and supportive of our environment conservation efforts.

“They have realised it’s important to preserve the river system and its environment for the benefit of the future generation,” he said.

Tuai Rumah Anthony Bau thanked the state government for selecting his longhouse to participate in the tagang system.

He said the idea of adopting such system came about after they had seen the project’s success in Ulu Engkari.

“Before we implemented our own tagang system, we could hardly see any fish, let alone catch them in Rantau Tapang and Ulu Mujok because they had depleted.

“The culture of catching fish excessively in the rivers had caused the depletion.

“Because of that, we had to explore farther in the LEWS area to catch fish for our consumption.”

Anthony added that over last five months since the implementation of the tagang system, they had noticed some increase in the fish stocks in Sungai Sugai.

He said on the implementation of the system late last year, nobody is allowed to catch fish within the tagang area.

This, he added, could have enabled the fish to multiply.