Locals
in Sukang and Melilas have reported activities of poaching at Sg Ingei (western
Brunei), where the two-year Sg Ingei Faunal Biodiversity Survey--a Heart of
Borneo (HoB) project--is being conducted.
The poaching activities, alleged to have been
executed by those hailing from Belait town, took place two weeks before the
survey team, which comprised the survey leader, Dr Joseph Charles and Project
Administrator of the Sg Ingei Faunal Biodiversity Survey, Dr Ang Bee Biaw,
returned to their base camp on October 28. The survey team was informed of the
activities by members of the local community in Sukang and Melilas.
Ang said, "The Melilas and Sukang people
really want to protect this place (Sg Ingei) and the (surrounding) areas."
"The locals catch one or two deer for
personal consumption, but when other people actually come into their kampung
and surroundings and poach a huge number, they get affected," she said.
"We do get cooperation from the Melilas and Sukang people who tell us what
is happening. We are really grateful for that. We do not want to mention names
because we do not want them to be targeted."
Charles, who represented Universiti Brunei
Darussalam (UBD) said, with the poaching activities going on at Sg Ingei, the
release of the survey findings next year is dependent on enforcement.
He said, "Some of the results of Sg Ingei
are sensitive and there is a need for enforcement because poaching is Sg
Ingei's biggest problem."
"Enforcement must be put in place, before
any findings can be released. Anywhere else in Brunei, whenever such results or
findings were released, everything is gone," he said. The survey leader
said "one of the reasons we did not release the results this year, are
because the results are not ready and the poaching is going on".
"Whatever we said, poachers will know
(what is here) and they will come for it," he added.
"When you drive into Melilas by car,
there are poachers' cars parked and (there are) poachers' camps along the
Belait river. This is the first time that we have seen poacher's camp in
Melilas," he said. Poachers came in four-wheel drive vehicles to Melilas
and "they have taken so much". "They won't stop or listen,"
he added.
"We have board signs that said 'Heart of
Borneo and Universiti Brunei Darussalam research project no entry', but nobody
cares. When we go back, it is our duty to inform the departments. We hope that
there will be enforcement," said Dr Charles.
He added that the Forestry Department, under
the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and Museums Department, under
the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports have been providing them with
tremendous assistance.
Poaching is not only done by outsiders but the
locals as well, he said. "We are very sad that our local people are
poaching. They are taking everything. Whatever they catch they just take, dead
or alive. They are making money out of it. We are going to tell the ministry
and police about it," he added.
The arrival of the survey team members with
SCB staff and the media at the base camp was welcomed by former Brunei Museum
curator Samhan Nyawa, the survey's field coordinator and Angus who is the
survey's chief guide as well as several Melilas locals who are also boatmen-cum-guides
for the project.
SCB provided the funding for the two-year
survey, from a US$500,000 prize donation from the Race for a Living Planet
Environment Challenge, which Brunei won last year for its HoB initiative.
Rasidah Hab
The Brunei Times
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