Tagal at Sungai Moroli a tourist attraction
Published on: Sunday, March 03, 2024
By: Bernama
Sungai Moroli in Kampung Luanti
RANAU: Tagal, a way of conserving the aquatic life of the river which has been passed down from generation to generation by the people of Sabah, is effective not only in conserving the environment, but also in creating symbiosis by providing a sustainable food supply for the people.
Through Tagal, also known as bonbon, fishing activities in the river are controlled according to three zones by the villagers, namely the red zone where fishing is prohibited, the green zone where fishing is allowed once in a certain period and the yellow zone which is an open fishing zone.
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This natural resource management system is still widely practised in villages and rural areas, including in Sungai Moroli in Kampung Luanti, turning the village into a tourist attraction.
Under the Tagal system, monitoring of the rivers is done by members of a committee set up in the respective villages.
Their task included ensuring no one trespass to carry out fishing activities in the rivers, he said, adding stern action would be taken against anyone caught doing so.
Sungai Moroli Tagal Chairman Noorhayati Asri said the committee was first established in 2004 by Jeffrin Majangki, 56, (now deceased) in response to the “Love Our Rivers” campaign then.
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Noorhayati, 51, said the tagal was originally meant to conserve the river and ensure its sustainability, but with time, it has become an attraction for tourists.
She said the tagal system used in conserving Sungai Moroli has turned the river into a tourist attraction.
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“The river has become a popular place for fish massage. This is because the Kelah fish in the river will gather at the standing area for visitors, who will be barefooted, and they can feel the soles of their feet massaged by the fish.
“There is a fish called Buntol, believed can help to treat psoriasis which is a type of skin disease by sucking on the part of the skin that has the problem,” she said.
Noorhayati said the village has been attracting more than 100 tourists a month because of the fish massage.
“Our river is always well taken care of because of the implementation of the Tagal system, It is clean and unpolluted, making it safe for river life,” she said, adding that several rest houses have been built in the area for tourists.
A fee of RM10 per pax for foreign tourists, RM5 for local tourists and RM2 for children is charged for those visiting theTagal system at Sungai Moroli, which is located at the foot of Mount Kinabalu and about 125 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu town.
Aireen Anastasia Jacob, 52, a teacher from Sandakan, said Sungai Moroli has become a mandatory stop for her family on their way to Kota Kinabalu.
“There is also a room for us to stay for the night. It’s a nice place to rest, the place is calm. It is also an opportunity for our children to learn about river fish. The fish are tame, children can hold and play with them, so it’s fun,” she said.
Albert Kerk, 41, a chef from Macau, is fascinated by the uniqueness of the Tagal system at Sungai Moroli and how it has sustained the river life and of humans through an effective symbiosis system.
“I found this place on Facebook and I’m really curious because as a Chinese chef, freshwater fish is a very important ingredient in our cooking, especially Mahseer (ikan Kelah) here.
“To see how this fish is cultivated and taken care of by generations of the community is really exciting,” he said.
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