Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:52 pm Post subject: [News] Licensed to hunt in Sabah

Date: 23 July 2006

Fancy shooting a wild boar or a barking deer? Soon you can pack your guns and head for Sabah’s east coast and hunt with peace of mind.

A CONTROVERSIAL move to set up special game reserves for hunting in Sabah could help stop the illegal hunting of wildlife. Two or three game reserves, each measuring between 400 and 2,000ha on the east coast will be identified by the Sabah Wildlife Department.

"When we have the special game reserves, we will not allow hunting in other areas," said Laurentius Ambu, deputy director of the department. "It will be easier for us to monitor hunters, something which is a bit difficult to do now."

Conservation aside, Ambu is convinced the idea will have its monetary rewards as well.

"We are thinking of both economics and conservation," says Ambu. "There is economic value to our wildlife resources, and since the instinct to hunt is still alive, we can designate game reserves."

The target market are urbanites, who have had enough of shooting static objects in shooting ranges, and hunters from the region.

"Many people have this itch to hunt because they own firearms. They are no longer keen to go to the shooting range, they want the thrill of shooting game."

While the department now charges a minimal fee for hunting, it is losing millions because hunters illegally hunt game, with wild boar topping the list.

Game meat is sold at tamu (weekly market in the districts) and at restaurants, according to a study by a consultant, commissioned three years ago.

Ambu said they will look at all angles before the hunting reserves are set up.

"First, we need to speak to forest plantation owners and those who own large land areas. Then, we want to make it clear there will be a hunting season of between three to four months.

"We will also have a nursery to stock and breed game like wild boar, barking deer, mousedeer and porcupine to be released into the reserve before the season starts.

"Of course, we have to do an inventory first and then decide which game animals to replenish. At the moment, we don’t have a census on game animals."

Before a hunting licence is issued, a hunter will have to attend a course.

"The hunter must know how to identify species, have knowledge of the law and know his responsibility in handling firearms."

So how will the department make sure that hunters don’t encroach into forest reserves since it plans to set up these reserves on the east coast which is rich in protected wildlife like orang utans, Borneo pygmy elephants and the rare Sumatran rhino?

"We have our enforcement units and honorary wildlife wardens in these areas. When we have game reserves, it will be easier to monitor what is happening."

Ambu said there are wild board hunters who end up shooting species which are protected.

"This is what we call opportunistic shooting. They can’t shoot animals such as elephants. They just shoot because they want to. They can’t go to areas with protected species when we set up game reserves."

To protect the rights of local people who need to hunt to survive, the department will continue to issue the "animal kampung licence" as stipulated under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

To help in animal conservation, the department is already working with a village in Tambunan, in the deep reaches of the Crocker Range.

The villagers have been taught to do their own inventory and know the importance of a gestation period to sustain the number of animals. They have also been made honorary wildlife wardens to check for abuse of the system.

"We will eventually run this project in other villages."

Ambu said they will not stop issuing licences to villagers because "they need game for protein and to sell some of it for money".

Feedback from the public and non-governmental organisations will be gathered. Department officials will also visit established game reserves abroad to see how they are being managed.

"If the public is behind us, we will go further."

Malaysia Nature Society (Sabah branch) chairman Omar Kadir says the concept is good but careful planning is needed.

He says breeding must be done properly with input from other agencies such as the Veterinary Department.

"In some countries, the deer is a threat to natural forests because they disturb trees. But we don’t have that problem here. Our concern is that there could be abuse on the pretext of hunting permitted animals.

"Lack of enforcement is another worry. These are things the department has to look at in detail before they actually set up the reserves."

"We may have all the rules, but we also have people who throw rubbish from luxury cars," says Omar. "We can assume that people who drive these cars are educated and well off, but they don’t respect the law."