KOTA KINABALU: Sabah tourism authorities are engaging rural communities to become a top global birdwatching destination.
The state is also in talks with the Sabah Birdwatchers Association (SBWA) to play a leading role in making Sabah a premier birding destination.
The role of the SBWA would entail identifying prospective bird hiding places throughout the state.
State Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said it is crucial to tap into birdwatching’s potential, which could have significant economic benefits for rural communities.
“Such an initiative is necessary to follow up on Sabah’s recent participation in the Rutland Global Birdfair,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 31).
Bangkuai, who is also the Sabah Tourism Board chairman, described the Rutland Birdfair in Britain last month as an eye-opener.
“It gave us valuable insights into how we can further develop birdwatching activities to benefit rural folks,” he said during a meeting with SBWA president Ron Pudin.
The meeting, also attended by Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Julinus Jimit, discussed initiatives to encourage rural communities to adopt niche birding activities.
Bangkuai recalled his meeting with Quentin Philipps, who is an author of a Borneo bird guidebook, in Rutland, who highlighted Sabah’s substantial potential.
“Philipps told me that Sabah only has five known bird hides when it should have hundreds,” he added.
As the assemblyman for Kiulu, some 50km from here, Bangkuai said based on feedback, certain areas within his constituency have significant potential for birdwatching activities.
“I have asked the Kiulu Tourism Association to collaborate with the Sabah Birdwatchers Association to discuss ways to build on the engagements from the Global Birdfair and transfer basic knowledge to the local communities,” he said.
Pudin said birdwatching could be a lucrative source of income and that rural communities can be empowered by providing them with training to understand its economic potential.
“This will not only foster a deeper appreciation for bird conservation but also provide a sustainable livelihood,” he said, adding that the association was ready to provide basic bird guiding course.
Borneo is home to 688 bird species, 66 of which are endemic to the island and six of which can only be found in Sabah.
Pudin also said studies indicated that over 90% of the bird species endemic to Borneo can be found in Sabah.
