Several government officers in Sabah have been caught poaching (hunting without a licence) red-handed by the State Wildlife Department (SWD). Furthermore, they were using state government vehicles as part of their tactics for their nefarious activities when the SWD stumbled on them during a recent road block in Paitan in the state’s northern most stretch.

Although the culprits were not nabbed for lack of ‘evidence’, this is not the end of the matter. The SWD will be writing officially to their heads of departments.

SWD director Laurentius Ambu confirmed yesterday the action that he will be taking against the “government poachers”.

He was elaborating on a media update he gave on Thursday on road blocks being erected in the state by the SWD and the guidelines for selling wild boar meat in public.

        

“We had to let those in the government vehicles go free because they were just setting out on their poaching activity,” said Ambu. “But there are others who were caught with wild boar carcasses. We will be taking action against them.”

The SWD, according to Ambu, came to know recently that up to four government department vehicles generally used for fieldwork were also being used for poaching activities. The SWD subsequently mounted a roadblock for three days, Sept 24 to Sept 26, and came across the government vehicles and others with a total of three wild boar carcasses.

Had the government vehicles contained any carcasses, the poachers would have been taken to court, assured Ambu. “Offenders can also be compounded.”

Anyone caught hunting without a licence can be fined RM 50,000, jailed five years or suffer both penalties, said the SWD director. However, the department has long discovered that the law has not deterred the poachers who prefer to walk on the wild side to save on the RM 50 per wild boar per week that each permit would otherwise cost them.

Poachers elusive

As one result, the SWD has been busy this year with 63 road blocks erected this year to nab the elusive poachers. Most of the department’s work, Ambu admitted, involved erecting road blocks besides carrying out patrolling duties.

“Last year we carried out 44 road blocks,” said Ambu. “Most of the cases involved poachers who stopped at road blocks.”

Ambu hastened to add that the department is not against the hunting of wild game provided it was done legally and according to its guidelines. For example, firearms that are meant for protecting farms and plantations cannot be used to apply for hunting licences.

He advised those who want to hunt the wild boar to do it legally and apply for the necessary licence as well besides ensuring that their firearm licence is valid with the condition that it can be used for sport or hunting only.

“The high demand for wild boar meat is one reason for the increase in interest in hunting the animal,” observed Ambu. “But we also issue permits for other wild game.”

At present, the SWD has permits available for the Sambar deer (RM 150 each permit); flying fox (RM 5); mousedeer (pelanduk) at (RM 35); and barking deer (kijang) (RM 75).

However, there’s an annual quota on the number of animals that can be harvested. The quota is set by the SWD by looking at the animal population concentration and getting the population figures for a particular animal for a particular area.

The off-take (hunt rate) for the animal is generally set at 30 to 40 percent of the population that particular year. Also, SWD licences are issued only for plantations, “never for forest reserves”.

The wild boar off-take for Tawau this year, disclosed Ambu, is 1,800 heads, while Lahad Datu and Keningau were at 600 heads each. This is based on a wild boar sow having usually between six to eight piglets, sometimes up to 12. They grow quickly in areas like the plantations where food is abundant.

“It’s not as if everything can be shot,” explained Ambu. “By having off-take figures, we are ensuring the sustainability of the animal and its habitat.”

The SWD has also gone after restaurants selling wild game and raided local tamus (fairs) where the prohibited item was available.

“We cannot allow anybody to sell the wild boar just anywhere along the road,” said Ambu. “The premises where the business is conducted must be owned by the local authority.”

He clarified that there was no ban on selling smoked wild boar meat at stalls along the roads throughout Sabah. However, sellers will now no longer be allowed to smoke the wild boar meat on-site at such outlets. The meat must be in proper display cases to “ensure the product was hygienic and looked presentable”.

“We have had complaints from those not selling wild boar meat that their business had been affected. Their patrons were uncomfortable at the sight and smell of the wild boar meat being openly smoked nearby,” said Ambu. “Sellers must take into consideration the feelings of their fellow traders and their patrons.”