Kota Kinabalu: Organised game hunting may be the next big thing in Sabah, if the State Wildlife Department has its way.
It is planning to work with big-time private landowners such as Sabah Softwoods in the East Coast to provide for a lawful organised hunting ground to curb poaching in Sabah.
"We are now working on the concept which is getting popular in the United States, Europe and Africa. Besides controlling illegal hunting, this can also be part of the State's latest tourism products," said its Deputy Director, Laurentius N. Ambu, In the US, he said, members of organised hunters clubs are willing to pay up to US$20,000 for one big deer and so "it can actually make money."
"So we are currently thinking which area can be turned into a legal and organised hunting ground complete with lodging facility, a shooting range and animal farms to replenish game animals in this area.
"Visitors will have a choice, whether to hunt with a villager as their guide, or just hire the villagers to hunt for them in this specific area and they spend time at the shooting range," said Laurentius.
In fact, the Department has received several inquiries from the US and Europe whether there is such a hunting ground or hunting club in Sabah. "But this is just an idea³f we can make it, it will be the first in the country."
Such a hunting ground would require at least 5,000 acres, he said, but added the site is yet to be identified.
"Any hunting outside this hunting ground will be deemed illegal," he said.
"At the moment, we are thinking very hard how to control these poachers³t is very difficult," he said, adding most of those involved in poaching are those from the urban areas who go to areas where there are animals so that they can shoot around.
"They just want an area to shoot actually, and they don't care what they are shooting ?they just want to use their gun," he said.
Over the last five years, Laurentius said the Department had detected more than 250 cases of poaching throughout Sabah. There were also cases of people keeping protected species including the orang-utan and other primate species in Sabah.
"But our investigations found no evidence so far of any involvement of organised crime syndicates in hunting, exporting or smuggling of protected species from Sabah," he said.
Laurentius said the main problem relating to protected species in Sabah is the selling and smuggling of turtle eggs particularly in east coast districts.
"We continue to take action against those involved in selling turtle eggs, but the supply keeps coming from outside because in the neighbouring countries their wildlife laws are not stringent enough," he said.
Laurentius said the Wildlife and Customs departments have banned the entry of turtle eggs from outside the State but when those involved see the enforcement personnel approaching they would go into their speedboat and take off to the Philippines side of the border.
"Illegal trading of turtle eggs is giving us the biggest headache right now ?most of the eggs are from the neighbouring countries."
Laurentius, meanwhile, said the existing laws of the country and also elsewhere only allow hunting to be carried out during the night. "Because one of the principles of hunting is that we must give a 50-50 chance to the animal."
It is planning to work with big-time private landowners such as Sabah Softwoods in the East Coast to provide for a lawful organised hunting ground to curb poaching in Sabah.
"We are now working on the concept which is getting popular in the United States, Europe and Africa. Besides controlling illegal hunting, this can also be part of the State's latest tourism products," said its Deputy Director, Laurentius N. Ambu, In the US, he said, members of organised hunters clubs are willing to pay up to US$20,000 for one big deer and so "it can actually make money."
"So we are currently thinking which area can be turned into a legal and organised hunting ground complete with lodging facility, a shooting range and animal farms to replenish game animals in this area.
"Visitors will have a choice, whether to hunt with a villager as their guide, or just hire the villagers to hunt for them in this specific area and they spend time at the shooting range," said Laurentius.
In fact, the Department has received several inquiries from the US and Europe whether there is such a hunting ground or hunting club in Sabah. "But this is just an idea³f we can make it, it will be the first in the country."
Such a hunting ground would require at least 5,000 acres, he said, but added the site is yet to be identified.
"Any hunting outside this hunting ground will be deemed illegal," he said.
"At the moment, we are thinking very hard how to control these poachers³t is very difficult," he said, adding most of those involved in poaching are those from the urban areas who go to areas where there are animals so that they can shoot around.
"They just want an area to shoot actually, and they don't care what they are shooting ?they just want to use their gun," he said.
Over the last five years, Laurentius said the Department had detected more than 250 cases of poaching throughout Sabah. There were also cases of people keeping protected species including the orang-utan and other primate species in Sabah.
"But our investigations found no evidence so far of any involvement of organised crime syndicates in hunting, exporting or smuggling of protected species from Sabah," he said.
Laurentius said the main problem relating to protected species in Sabah is the selling and smuggling of turtle eggs particularly in east coast districts.
"We continue to take action against those involved in selling turtle eggs, but the supply keeps coming from outside because in the neighbouring countries their wildlife laws are not stringent enough," he said.
Laurentius said the Wildlife and Customs departments have banned the entry of turtle eggs from outside the State but when those involved see the enforcement personnel approaching they would go into their speedboat and take off to the Philippines side of the border.
"Illegal trading of turtle eggs is giving us the biggest headache right now ?most of the eggs are from the neighbouring countries."
Laurentius, meanwhile, said the existing laws of the country and also elsewhere only allow hunting to be carried out during the night. "Because one of the principles of hunting is that we must give a 50-50 chance to the animal."
"In the US, if you see a duck on the water, a hunter will wait until it flies before he shoots it. This is an example of giving a game animal a 50-50 chance. This is a good hunting practice."
Source: Daily Express
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