After decades of extensive hunting and overfishing, the mahseer is now on the brink of extinction, prompting various quarters to take action to protect and restore its population. Conservation efforts include the establishment of mahseer sanctuaries in their natural habitats.
Among them is the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary on Sungai Tiang here, part of Perak’s Royal Belum State Park, one of the world’s oldest rainforests.The 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 Sg Tiang mahseer habitat was discovered in the state park in 2016 following research efforts by Tenaga Nasional in collaboration with Orang Asli in the area.
They found the area to have the potential to be a mahseer conservation centre as it is safe from encroachment, and under the control of the local community.
“In 2020, TNB handed over this site to Jakoa and we, in turn, handed it over to the villagers of Kampung Orang Asli Sg Tiang to enable them to manage the habitat through the Sg Tiang Orang Asli Cooperative (KOAST), established that year,” Hairulnizam told Bernama.
An adventure
Getting to the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary is an adventure in itself. First, one has to travel by boat from the Pulau Banding public jetty in Gerik to the Sg Tiang jetty, which takes 1 hour and 45 minutes depending on the water level of Banding Lake. The lower the water level, the longer the journey.
At the Sg Tiang jetty, you transfer to a pole boat that navigates 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 the river, offering a sense of tranquillity rarely found in the concrete jungle.
The rather arduous journey explains why the mahseer conservation site, open to the public year-round, attracts relatively few visitors.
Hairulnizam said the sanctuary only receives about 200 guests annually; as such, Jakoa is planning several measures to boost visitor numbers which, in turn, will increase the income of the local Orang Asli community. All visits to Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary are managed by KOAST.
According to Hairulnizam, fishing is allowed on Sg 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 Sg 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.
‘Shy fish’
Kampung Orang Asli Sg Tiang is home to 454 people from 118 families, whose main activities include fishing and gathering forest resources. Over a quarter of the community are members of KOAST and are involved in managing the sanctuary, which also houses ikan tengas (copper mahseer) and other fish species.
Kampung Orang Asli Sg Tiang chief Hadi Mes, 37, said feeding the fish is one of the main activities guests at the sanctuary can enjoy.
“Visitors can stand on a platform built from bamboo and small wooden planks. Previously, people would interact with the fish on the banks, but many would slip, which was dangerous,” he said.
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 are, they’ll approach us – but this can take up to 10 years. Right now, they aren’t fully tame yet as we have only been taking care of the sanctuary for four to five years,” he said.
The best time for visitors to observe the mahseer is during the monsoon season from September to December, which is also breeding season.
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 pose a threat.
“But all that is under control. 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,” he said.
Hairulnizam added that Jakoa, along with various government agencies and NGOs, is working with the local Orang Asli community to develop the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary as a tourist destination.
“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.”
For more information on the Akekchep Kelah Sanctuary, contact Hadi Mes at 019-855 2132.