KAPIT: A pilot project implemented a year ago in Sungai Tisa - a tributary of Sungai Yong - near here to conserve the river ecosystem so as to enhance and sustain its economic potential as a source of food and ecotourism destination has proven to be very successful.

BREEDING SUCCESSFULLY: Dominic (left) and a staff of the Agriculture Department showing the size of the fish at Sungai Tisa Tagang System project.

It is managed using what is called ‘Tagang System’ under which the harvest of fish is carried out in a more systematic manner, while prohibiting the cutting of trees along the river banks as they could be the main source of the fish food.

The Tagang, an adaptation of Sabah’s ‘Tagal Sistem’, is one of the smart partnerships of the Agriculture Department and the local community which benefits from the sustainable supply of fish as both food and an alternative source of income.

Assistant director of agriculture here, Dominic Chunggat, disclosed these details recently when giving updates on the development of the project during a divisional-level meeting of the local Tourism Task Force Group at the State Office Complex in Jalan Bleteh.

Due to the success of the project, the much-sought-after species of fish such as ‘semah’ (douronensis) and ‘tengadak’ are thriving in Sungai Tisa.

Semah has a market price of more than RM110 per kg while tengadak fetches between RM180 and RM220.

Dominic assured that the Department of Agriculture (DOA) would continue to provide technical help including supplying fish fry for the project to sustain its success.

The project was started by the people of Rumah Lulut in 2000 with help from TTG Kapit.

Last year, the DOA decided to adopt Sungai Tisa area to ensure the continuous running of the project.

Following a visit to the area late last month, Dominic revealed that the fish could be harvested as they had reached the right sizes.

However he advised the people of Rumah Lulut to harvest the fish in stages so as not to finish them in one go.

To facilitate the access of the longhouse folk to the project site, the DOA has helped to construct a 1.5-km concrete path and a 58-metre plank-walk under its farm road development project.

OnApril 25 DOA here embarked on its second Tagang project. The location is Sungai Engkatit, also a tributary of Sungai Yong.

Dominic, who officiated at the launching ceremony, said the department is now in the process of identifying other potential areas for more such projects.

These include Sungai Sebiro and Tunoh in Baleh area, Long Semutut, Uma Sambop in Belaga District and Sungai Satun in Song District.

All these rivers are free of pollution and logging activities, he said.