‘Tagal’ rivers have tourism potential
RANAU: The tagal system of river and fish conservation practiced in many villages in Sabah can be a tourism product with wide appeals.
One fine example is the tagal on the Melout River, about 28km from here, which is jointly managed by the villages of Bayag, Gaur and Giring-Giring.
The villages and the river had an important visitor recently in the person of Ranau Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin who commended the villagers for their efforts in conservation, and encouraged them to develop it into a tourism product to share it with outsiders.
(Tagal is operated according to native customs. A village or a cluster of villages may be involved in making a decision on how much of the river should be placed under tagal, how to enforce, how and when the tagal should be opened and who should benefit from the fish harvest.)
Ewon said Melout is located sufficiently far from urban development and maintains a tranquil and unspoilt environment. Combined with the slow flowing river, rich flora and fauna, the river and the surrounding villages are potential tourism attractions,.
“This is not yet on the tourism calendar … but the signs are that more and more are attracted to the beauty of nature as well as the unique tagal system where the people are themselves protecting the river and fish sources,” Ewon said during the opening of a rest chalet by the river recently.
The tagal practice is quite wide spread in Sabah and some, for example in Penampang, have recently used it to attract tourists.
“I believe that in three years’ time this area will become a tourist attraction as the access roads are improved,” said Ewon.
He added that the natural beauty of the villages, the scenic river and the tagal will give rise to homestays and other tourism products.
He urged villagers to consider introducing activities as cast net fishing to attract visitors. Jius Kumin the chairman of the tagal system, said the villagers have been imposing the tagal restrictions for the last three years.
“It’s been good to us … not only have we been able to conserve resources like fish in the river, the surroundings also benefit directly because there is much less intrusion, and the villagers took ownership of what nature provides, and they look after them.”
Jius also said that because of the collective responsibility of upkeeping the tagal, the villagers of the three kampong have grown closer, and they share the same love for the forests surrounding the villages as well.
“We are proud of our tagal, and we want to maintain it so that it becomes as good as the one in Kampung Luanti (which has an international reputation) and out people can not only enjoy the tourism benefits, but also the fish we can harvest whenever the tagal is lifted.” He proposed that the lifting be August next year.
Meanwhile, Ewon approved an application for six rolls of polyurethane pipes for the construction of a gravity water supply system in the area. The running water thus obtained will enable the construction of public toilets.
Ewon pointed to the rapid growth in tourist arrivals from China and Korea in Sabah and that these are potential visitors to villages with the tagal system.
Source: New Sabah Times
