INTRODUCTION

There are about 48 species of migratory birds that come in large numbers to Kuala Gula each year. The cold weather and snow-covered soils of the northern hemisphere force them to migrate to the south searching for food, shelter and warm temperatures. The long coastal mudflat stretching from Perlis to Tanjung Pie in Johor is perfect for these birds to feed and rest. The coastal plain of the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is well protected from strong winds and wave erosion compared to the east coastal area. The accumulated mudflat at Kuala Gula originates mostly from the rivers, canals and rice fields of the inland areas. It is rich with micro-organisms such as annelids, copepods, crustacean and small shellfish which are prime food for the migratory birds. During the low tide, these minute organisms are exposed to the surface and become easy prey to the birds. In order to adapt to these food types, some migratory birds have developed specific beak shapes to reach food from inside the shells or from the mud.

KUALA GULA BIRD SANCTUARY

The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary is located in the district of Kerian in the state of Perak Darul Ridzuan. The sanctuary has been established since 1970 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) and the state government of Perak. The main objective of creating the sanctuary is to protect migratory and resident bird species, which have been using the wetland area for many years. The migratory birds utilise the large mudflat area for feeding and resting during their migratory route from the northern to the southern hemisphere. Tens of thousands of migratory birds comprising 48 species of 8 families visit Kuala Gula from September until April each year. Some of these migratory birds come from as far as Siberia in Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Japan and China. The Kuala Gula mangrove swamp forest and mudflat are not only important for migratory birds but also for 600 families of fishermen who depend totally on the mangrove forests and marine ecosystem for their livelihood. Many fishermen involved in fishing, cockle farming, aquaculture, shrimp and crabs derive their income from this wetland area. Currently, eco-tourism activities are getting popular in Kuala Gula. Approximately 5,000 visitors came to Kuala Gula last year. The fishermen living in the vicinity of Kuala Gula for the last hundred years have survived within the natural ecosystem of this mangrove swamp forest. The dependence of man on this natural ecosystem will continue for generations to come.

THE MANGROVE SWAMP FOREST AND MUDFLATS

The Larut-Matang-Selama District has the largest mangrove swamp forest in Peninsular Malaysia. This forest is also named the Matang Mangrove swamp forest. In the northwestern part of Perak, in the district of Kerian, there is also a large tract of mangrove swamp forests. This mangrove swamp forest stretches from the Perak/Kedah boundary and Sungai Kerian in the north to the Sungai Sepetang boundary in the south. The mangrove swamp forests are very important for sustaining the coastal ecosystem because of their roles in protecting environmental, preventing soil erosion, providing bird sanctuaries and a breeding ground for marine aquatic fauna and timber production. This area covers about 40,500 hectares or 100,000 acres of the bestmanaged mangrove swamp forests in the world. The area is under the jurisdiction of the Perak Forest Department. Several species of mangrove trees such as Aricenia sp., Rhizophora sp., are naturally grown along the coastal area. These trees are very useful for the charcoal and pole making industry.

FISHING ACTIVITIES

The Kuala Gula fishing village has been established since the late 19th century. The Malay and the Chinese fishermen built their settlements at Kuala Gula because this area is rich with fishes and crustaceans. Historically, Pulau Kalumpang was inhabited by an early Malay settlement about 1,000 years ago. Their remains and graveyards are found in Pulau Kalumpang, about a 20-minute boat ride from Kuala Gula. This historical site is well preserved by the Taiping Museum authority and the Kuala Gula forest rangers.

Besides the fishing industry, Kuala Gula is also an important site for cockle farming. Large amounts of cockles are produced by the Kuala Gula fishermen each year. These cockles are marketed to several large towns such as Taiping, Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Other than cockle farming, the local fishermen also operate aquaculture farms. They rear sea pearchs, groupers, and crabs in aquaculture cages. Most of the coastal fishermen are Malays. They use small sampans, gill nets, and crab traps to get their catch. There are about 60 families or 350 people residing at Kuala Gula.

Sungai Gula and Sungai Kurau flow from Gunung Semanggol, Bukit Merah and the enriched rice field of the Selinsing area. This area provides much of the mud, which later accumulates at the mouth of Sungai Gula and the coastal area. Fishes and crabs aquacultures are the most important activities of the fishermen in the area. Sea pearchs, groupers and crabs are the main species kept in cages. At least 20 cages are used by fishermen for aquaculture farming. Fish fry for the aquaculture cages are supplied by the local Malay fishermen.

To catch the small fry of sea pearchs and groupers, the Malay fishermen use a special built bubu or fish trap. Soft-shell edible crabs are also kept in the cages. A short survey has been made on the households, average incomes and harvests of the fishermen of Kuala Gula. A random sample of questionnaires was used for sampling. There are about 540 Chinese families in Kuala Gula. The average income for the Kuala Gula Chinese fishermen is about RM945.00 per month. The average Malay fisherman's income is about RM576.00 per month. The Chinese fishermen are well organised and use more advanced and much larger boats than their Malay counterparts.

ECO-TOURISM ACTIVITIES

Since 1970, the eco-tourism activities at Kuala Gula have been restricted to a very specific activity, that is, bird observation. This main activity is handled by the Wildlife and National Park Department or Perhilitan staff stationed at the Kuala Gula office. Only special interest parties such as school children, university students, scientists, researchers and governmental officials visit the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary. Their number is less than one thousand per year. Their main activity is to observe the migratory bird species and mudflat ecosystem. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks or Perhilitan has been stationed at its complex at Kuala Gula since 1983. The Interpretive Centre was completed in 1994. By the end of the year 2000, the District Office of Kerian had completed building the tourism complex along Sungai Gula with restaurants, chalets, car parks, meeting rooms, hostels and a jetty at the cost of about RM2 million. The funding came from the Ministry of Culture, Art and Tourism (MOCAT). Since then, the number of visitors has increased. By June 2001, approximately 4,000 visitors had visited the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary. An estimate of between 10,000 to 12,000 visitors will visit Kuala Gula each year in the future.

CONCLUSIONS The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary has already been established for the last 30 years. It has become a stopover and feeding ground for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds which come from Siberia, Russia, Mongolia, Khazakhstan, China and Japan. The bird species spend much of their time feeding and resting at the coastal mangrove forest of Kuala Gula and the surrounding areas. The fishermen who have been living at Kuala Gula have utilised the area for decades. They depend totally on the mangrove and estuarine ecosystem for their livelihood. They have practised sustainable management and sustainable harvesting of coastal and mangrove marine resources for decades. Both men and birds depend on the mudflat and mangrove ecosystem so that they can survive for long periods of time. The Kuala Gula community is a good example of sustainable development and management by the fishermen of Kuala Gula and the people of the vicinity on their mangrove ecosystem as the area is still natural.