Saving the ‘King of the River’: Orang Asli community leads mahseer conservation in Royal Belum

GERIK - The wild mahseer or ikan kelah, a freshwater fish that thrives in crystal clear waters, is highly desired by anglers for its reputation as one of the most challenging fish to catch. Its delicious taste and high value have also made this "King of the River” a popular target.

After decades of extensive hunting and overfishing, the mahseer (Tor tambroides) is now on the brink of extinction, prompting the government to take action to protect and restore its population.

Among the conservation efforts are the establishment of mahseer sanctuaries in their natural habitats. One of them is the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary on the Tiang River here, which is a part of Perak’s Royal Belum State Park, one of the world’s oldest rainforests.

The Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary is managed by the local Jahai Orang Asli community. (In the Jahai language, ‘akekchep’ means ‘don’t catch’.)

According to Perak and Kedah Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) director Hairulnizam Abd Rahman, the Tiang River mahseer habitat was discovered in the Royal Belum State Park in 2016 as a result of research efforts by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) in collaboration with the Orang Asli residing near the Sungai Tiang area. They found the area has the potential to be a mahseer conservation centre as it is safe from encroachment and under the control of the local community there.

"In 2020, TNB handed over this site to us (JAKOA), and we, in turn, handed it over to the villagers of Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Tiang to enable them to manage the habitat through the Sungai Tiang Orang Asli Cooperative (KOAST), which was established in the same year,” he told Bernama.

SANCTUARY

Getting to the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary is an adventure in itself, as this writer found out on a recent trip there organised by Perak/Kedah JAKOA. First, one has to travel by boat from the Pulau Banding public jetty in Gerik to the Sungai Tiang jetty, with the journey taking an hour and 45 minutes depending on the water level of Banding Lake. The lower the water level, the longer the journey takes.

At the Sungai Tiang jetty, it is time to transfer to a pole boat which will have to navigate the river for about an hour before reaching the Akekchep sanctuary. Its camp is a 15-minute hike via a narrow trail alongside lush vegetation and crystal-clear river water, offering a sense of tranquillity rarely found in the concrete jungle.

The rather arduous journey explains why the mahseer conservation site, though open to the public year-round, attracts relatively few visitors.

Hairulnizam said the sanctuary only receives about 200 visitors annually and that JAKOA is planning several measures to boost visitor numbers which, in turn, will increase the incomes of the local Orang Asli community. All visits to Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary are managed by KOAST.

NATURAL HABITAT

According to Hairulnizam, fishing is allowed on Sungai Tiang but in a regulated manner using the tagal system, originally practised by Sabah to conserve natural resources including aquatic life. Under this system, the river is divided into four zones: green, blue, yellow and red.

"In the green zone, fishing is allowed as part of the daily activities for locals and tourists, but subject to specific regulations. The blue zone is designated for commercial sport fishing, while the yellow zone allows an annual fishing activity known as chepkomkom, where the Orang Asli of Kampung Sungai Tiang gather to fish once a year,” he explained.

Meanwhile, fishing and angling are strictly prohibited in the red zone, which constitutes the mahseer sanctuary.

Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Tiang is home to 454 people from 118 families, whose main activities include fishing and gathering forest resources. About 27 percent of them are members of KOAST and are involved in managing the mahseer sanctuary, which is the natural habitat of the mahseer, ikan tengas (copper mahseer) and various other fish species.

"This sanctuary is part of efforts to conserve Sungai Tiang’s native fish, with the mahseer and ikan tengas being the main species targeted for conservation,” said Hairulnizam.

Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Tiang headman Hadi bin Mes, 37, said feeding the fish is one of the main activities visitors to the sanctuary can enjoy.

"To interact with the fish, visitors can stand on a platform we built from bamboo and small wooden planks. Previously, people used to play (with the fish) on the banks, but many would slip, which was dangerous,” he said.

SHY

According to Hadi, the copper mahseer has a tamer disposition towards humans while the mahseer tends to be "shy”.

"It takes time for the mahseer to become truly tame. When they’re completely tame, they’ll approach us but this can take up to 10 years. Right now, they aren’t fully tame yet as it has only been about four to five years we’ve been taking care of this sanctuary. Plus, we don’t come down to feed them frequently,” he said.

He added the best time for visitors to observe the mahseer is during the monsoon season or from September to December.

"That’s the mahseer breeding season when the river is filled with this fish, from the upper reaches down to here. Outside of the breeding season, they’re there but harder to see,” he said, adding the river water turns murky when it rains but when it is crystal clear, "you can see the sand at the bottom of the river.”

Meanwhile, on the challenges of managing the sanctuary, Hairulnizam said since the site is part of the Royal Belum State Park, wildlife such as elephants, otters and monitor lizards do pose a threat.

"But all that is under control,” he said, adding, "What we are more worried about is the threat posed by humans as the villagers here depend on forest and river resources. If they keep catching fish for personal or commercial use, the mahseer will eventually disappear, which is what we want to avoid,” he said, adding some outsiders also engage in illegal fishing activities there.

TOURISM

Hairulnizam said JAKOA, along with various government agencies and non-governmental organisations, is also working with the local Orang Asli community to develop the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary as a tourist destination.

He said currently, visitor entry is limited due to infrastructure constraints like lack of accommodation and shortage of boat services, adding that their long-term plan includes developing complete facilities on-site.

"We don’t allow overnight stays (in tents) due to the risk of wildlife attacks. However, we plan to allow overnight stays (in future) as reaching this location is time-consuming,” he said, adding plans are underway to set up 10 camping sites by next year.

Currently, only day trips to the sanctuary are available. Hairulnizam said KOAST offers visitors three packages priced between RM900 and RM1,400, comprising boat rides, and fish feeding, rafting and trekking activities.

"There are also other attractions here like waterfalls, Rafflesia flowers and the Sungai Klewang Orang Asli Village where visitors can observe the daily lives of the Jahai ethnic group,” he added.

For more information on visits to Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary, contact Hadi at 019-8552132. - BERNAMA