Rep wants ‘Tagang System’ revived
KAPIT: Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat wants the Agriculture Department to consider reviving the ‘ Tagang System’ along Sungai Tisa, Yong here as a river conservation project.
He made the suggestion after paying a visit to the river with head of commercialisation of agriculture division of the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Dr Gluma Saban; director of Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) Sarawak Shahid Abu Bakar, assistant director of Sarawak Agriculture Department ( Commercial Crops) Dominic Chunggat and Kapit agriculture officer (assistant director) Badin Unor recently.
He said the Tagang System was previously launched along Sungai Tisa in 2000 but due to logging activities at Ulu Sungai Tisa the programme had to be halted.
“Initially, it was a great success as the fish stock increased steadily but later because of logging activities the river was polluted.
“Now, the logging has stopped and the water is clean, so we want to reintroduce the river conservation project again for the longhouse community,” he added.
Sungai Tisa, a tributary of Sungai Yong, meets all the requirements for inland river conservation programme because there is only one longhouse along the river - 39- door Rumah Rolland Banggau with a small population.
Besides, its basin is vastly covered by forest and along the river banks are trees that bear fruit for the fish.
“Today, we come back with Dr Gluma and his team of senior officers from both the Agriculture and Fisheries Department to check the river, water quality and the whole area to be later gazetted as a national park to protect the Sungai Tisa basin ecology.
He said he would write to the relevant authorities to ensure no more logging is done in the area in the future when the Tagang System is reintroduced.
He also said he would revive the homestay programme at Rumah Rolland as one of the economic activities for the longhouse folks to supplement their income.
“This is possible because of the accessibility by road unlike previously when the longhouse could only be reached by river transport,” he added.