Guest guest Posted September 3, 2002 Report Share Posted September 3, 2002 ***************************Advertisement*************************** TechCentral http://star-techcentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from thestar.com.my URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2002/9/3/features/hrbajau & sec=fe\ atures ________________________ Tuesday, September 03, 2002 Nurturing respect for sea mammals THE Bajau Laut or Sea Bajau of Sabah have a long-standing association with marine mammals. Living off the sea, they count on in-shore species such as dolphins and dugongs for their source of food and medicine. These sea gypsies are divided into several sub-ethnic groups, some of which have settled down in fishing villages in north-eastern and eastern Sabah, and in the smaller islands that dot the Sabah coastline. Unlike other ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak who believe that dolphins are man & #8217;s friend at sea and should not be harmed in anyway, the Sea Bajau have, for generations, hunted dolphins for their red meat. The sluggish dugong and gentle dolphins are traditionally speared or harpooned. Over the past few years, the introduction of destructive fishing methods like dynamite bombing has decimated the slow-growing mammals & #8217; population. “The fishermen used to hunt at night using spears and rowing boats. On many occasions, a pawang or medicine man would be engaged to help in locating the dugong. The pawang will chant spells to lure the animal to the surface,” discloses Saifullah A. Jaaman, deputy director of Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah. “When they managed to catch a dugong, the pawang will slaughter it and skin the animal before taking the carcass home. The Sea Bajau regard dugong meat as a delicacy & #8211; a meat far more delicious than beef.” Saifullah has been documenting the interaction between the Sea Bajau and marine mammals for the past three years. Due to the dwindling population of dugongs, many traditional medicine men find themselves out of business, but this does not stop them from spinning tales of cures afforded by the animal parts. Interestingly, the Suluk, a sub-ethnic group of Sea Bajau, revere the dugong as their ancestor and thus refrain from killing or consuming the meat of this herbivorous marine mammal. The headman of Kampung Perpaduan on Pulau Banggi, an hour & #8217;s ferry ride from Kudat in Sabah, claims that he is the third generation of Suluk since a pregnant woman from his tribe turned into a dugong. Referring to the animal as duyung, a generic name among the Sea Bajau, Ragaban Mursal explains that a heavily-pregnant woman was transformed into a dugong while munching on the fruit of the seagrass. “She had such a craving for the fruits and was enjoying them so much that she did not realise the tide was rising. And when she finally did, her bottom was mysteriously stuck to the rock and she could not escape. By the time the search party reached her, her lower body had taken the form of a tail. “Similarly, the dolphins had rescued our ancestors when their boat capsized. So they are our friends. From then on, our forefathers resolved that they would not harm the dugong and dolphin for the next seven generations,” says Ragaban, 53. Due to their beliefs, the Suluks release any incidentally caught or stranded dugong and dolphin, and bury carcasses of these animals whenever they come across one. While other groups embrace the same beliefs, ironically that does not stop them from hunting these animals. One such sub-group is the Bajau Ubian who hold hunting parties. According to Ragaban, a Suluk would persuade other Sea Bajaus to release their catch or stop hunting the mammals. When these requests fall on deaf ears, clashes often erupt. The community elders regret that the tribal custom is no longer upheld by the younger generation, who, enticed by monetary gains, are hunting dugongs for its tusks and bones. Ragaban recalls that dolphins were a common sight when he was a boy, illustrating the abundance of these animals in waters around the group of islands bordering the Philippines. “Now it is so difficult to even see one,” sighs Ragaban whose daily exercise is a swim in the sea. At Kampung Kaligau in the north-eastern corner of Pulau Banggi, Aning Siamag & #8211; a Suluk-Ubian descendant & #8211; has no regrets about foregoing dugong or dolphin meat although they are highly valued as a delicacy. He says he does not hunt like most of his Bajau Ubian tribesmen because he believes humans and animals should co-exist in harmony. “I believe that if we make life easy for these animals, we will be blessed manifold. So whenever I haul up a dugong or dolphin in my net, I will release it. Besides, these animals are becoming rarer by the day. “Duyung meat is being sold at the Kudat market. This is illegal because the animal is now protected by law. The authorities will raid the stalls if they get any tip-offs,” says the informed fisherman, signalling hope for the conservation cause. These days, the fisherman-turned-conservationist has been assisting in the collection of field data for the Marine Mammal and Whale Shark Research and Conservation Programme initiated by the Borneo Marine Research Institute. Aning, 31, who is also a participant of the government & #8217;s poverty eradication scheme through seaweed farming, says he has been given a map and a notebook to jot down sightings of any marine mammal, especially the dugong. Such information will help the programme to determine the foraging ground and movement corridor of the docile marine mammal to support the institute & #8217;s proposal to the authorities to declare the waters off Kudat as a marine protected area. <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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