Major fl light path for migratory birds
Waterbirds from the E northern hemisphere flock to Bako-buntal Bay to feed and rest
MADAHI Abu, 56, like most Kampung Bako villagers grew up side by side with migratory waterbirds. The birds’ presence is part of their everyday living landscape, just like the mangrove forests dotting the riverbanks and estuary.
For fishermen like Madahi, the birds’ feeding frenzy at sea is always good news because this clearly indicates that fish, particularly anchovies — or pusuk as the locals call it as still in abundance. This makes fishing for pusuk easy for them.
“The birds that come in groups are nice to look at too. I used to keep a burung tiong (local mynah) as a pet, but after being trained as an honorary voluntary forest ranger by Sarawak Forestry Corporation in 2007, my understanding of wildlife conservation is better. So out of pity, I released the bird so that it could be free in the wild.
“I didn’t know that these birds come from other countries to escape winter — but I do now,” he said.
Madahi said when he was a boy, there were many waterbirds feeding on the mudflats at the estuary, especially during low tide, but he felt that the number of birds had reduced over the years. He did not know why. “I used to see about 10 lesser adjutant stork around the mudflats, but I hardly see them anymore these days. Maybe the hunters’ presence have scared them away,” he said when met at Kampung Bako, about 30km from here recently.
Madahi was a participant of an awareness programme held in conjunction with the “World Wetlands Day” at the village.
The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) of Kuching organised the programme in collaboration with Kampung Bako’s Village Security and Development Committee and supported by Birdlife International.
The half-day programme included a talk on the importance of wetlands on conserving migratory waterbirds in Sarawak, birdwatching trip on the mudflats, photos and posters exhibition as well as a colouring contest for children.
For the villagers, it was their first birdwatching activity with the MNS.
Demak Laut assemblyman Dr Hazland Abang Hipni officiated at the closing of the programme.
Concurring with Madahi, Kampung Bako Hulu’s chieftain Wahid Sani ( pic), 58, also conceded that the number of birds had reduced compared to in the 1960s.
“During my younger days, I would sit by the river and watchwaterbirds in their hundreds or more feeding along the mudflat that was exposed during low tide near the village. The birds still do come, but in a comparatively lesser numbers now.
“I hope these birds will continue to feed here so that they can attract nature lovers to visit our village and we, in turn, can generate some income through eco-tourism,” he said.
The villagers were more aware of the importance of conserving the environment and protecting wildlife nowadays, he said.
“We are inter-dependent with the environment and wildlife that surround us; so if the waterbirds are gone, disastermay strike because it means the ecological chain has been broken,” he said.
Wahid hoped that tourists visiting Bako National Park would detour to the village and spend a night or two to experience traditional village life, such as visiting the fruit orchard or going for bird and crocodile watching.
“The mangrove forests along the riverbanks also have lots of fireflies, where we can do firefly watching,” he said.
He said he was glad that the Kuching MNS picked the village to celebrate World Wetlands Day and hoped that the event would be the beginning of new collaborations on conservation.
MNS head of conservation Yeap Chin Aik said MNS members had been conducting waterbird surveys in Bako-buntal Bay for nine years and as a result, the bay had been listed as one of the Important Bird Areas (IBA) in the country by Birdlife International.
He said there were 22 IBA sites identified in Sarawak. Of the number four including BakoBuntal Bay were important for migratory birds.
The bay is part of the East Asian-australasian Flyway (EAAF), one of the major flight paths for migratory birds in the world. A flyway is an invisible route used by millions of migratory birds each year to escape winter to warmer places to feed. Presently, there are nine flyways in the world.
Every year, more than 10,000 of waterbirds of at least 32 species from the northern hemisphere will escape winter to Bako-buntal Bay to feed and rest.
The bay is important because it supports several globally threatened and near-threatened migratory birds such as the Chinese Egret, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Far Eastern Curlew.
“Bako-buntal Bay is a good example of sustainable use. If the area is not enjoying better protection now, government agencies that know best on the ground should give adequate measures to protect it and promote the sustainable use among the people,” Yeap said.
He said whatever happened on land would have significant impact to the mudflats, on
which migratory birds relied on for food. Therefore, he hoped agencies concerned in the decision-making would engage the village and Kuching MNS for feedback.
Yeap, during at talk held as part of the awareness programme, suggested that the Chinese Egret, a globally threatened species, should be made the iconic bird of Bako-buntal Bay.
“It is estimated there are 2,600 to 3,400 mature individuals; but their number are declining.
“The highest count in Bako-buntal Bay for Chinese Egret was more than 400,” he said.
He said the bay has an ecological boundary stretching 52km from the Santubong peninsula to Sungai Sadong.
Yeap said recent reports worldwide had not been very good as the numbers of migratory birds were pointing to a decrease of some sort.
He said, among others, pollution, illegal mangrove felling as well as encroachment and unsustainable coastal development were contributing to the decline in habitats and feeding grounds.
Nevertheless, he was hopeful that current conservation activities such as annual waterbird census, capacity building, advocacy and outreach programmes, mangrove replanting as well as environmental education activities by both government and non-governmental organisations (NGOS) would ensure the birds’ survival for posterity.
World Wetlands Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on Feb 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Each year since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat encouraged government agencies, NGOS, conservation organisations, and groups of citizens to organise events to help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. This year’s theme is “Wetlands and Tourism”. Presently, there are 1,995 wetlands of international importance, or “Ramsar sites”, within the 160 countries that have ratified the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. In Sarawak, Kuching Wetlands National Park near Santubong has been classified as a Ramsar site.