‘Tagal’ system proposed to protect wild boar
KOTA KINABALU: The state government may consider introducing a tagal system to protect the wild boar whose population is declining, said Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said sightings of wild boar in the forests are rare now, even at places where they normally could be seen, following heavy hunting in the past and the African Swine Fever (ASF).
Jeffrey said the tagal system, which is also used to protect the fish populations, would help wild boar to reproduce, by zoning the forests into three colours.
Under the tagal system, villagers are allowed to fish at any time in green zone areas, while seasonal fishing is imposed in yellow zones while fishing is prohibited in red zones which are meant for fish breeding.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said they were also looking at imposing stricter penalties to deter illegal and excessive hunting of wild boar.
“There is a provision in the law to protect the animal which carries penalties, but we also intend to incorporate cultural measures, such as tagal, or imposing ‘sogit’ (traditional compensation) on the offenders,” he said.
Smoked wild boar meat, known locally as Sinalau Bakas, is a popular food among the people in Sabah.
Jeffrey said the ministry is also considering lifting the ban on wild boar hunting as no new ASF cases have been reported in Sabah recently.
“We still don’t see sinalau bakas in Rompon (a popular stop along the interior Tambunan-Keningau stretch that sells smoked wild boar meat), meaning they still adhere to the ban.
“The ban will be lifted soon, but only after we are satisfied that the wild boar population has fully recovered,” he said.
The state Veterinary Services Departments imposed the ban in February 2021 after an ASF outbreak was detected among domestic and commercial farms in Sabah in November and December 2020.
A large number of wild boar were killed by the epidemic but conservationists noted that the hunting restriction had helped the recovery of wild boar.