DECADES ago in Bukit Chandik and Busut Baru in Selangor’s Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR), pools of water would form near the Temuan Orang Asli settlements during the monsoon. The pools would recede but not dry up during the arid season.
All the residents knew that there lived in the water a fighting fish species they called the “picat”. It was red and green and common in the area at the time.
These days, it is known that the fish has another name, Betta livida. But the water from the monsoon rains now remains for only a short period before the floor of the peat forest dries up. That’s because drains have been built around the forest. Meanwhile, the areas surrounding the KLNFR have been developed, disrupting the natural hydrologic system of the forest and destroying the habitats of the fish.
In Sungai Panjang north of Selangor, 971ha of peat forest is being cleared for agriculture. Completion of work will mean that 90% of the 2.5 million hectares of peatland in Malaysia have been logged or degraded.
The Betta livida, also known as the Selangor red betta, is endemic to the state it is named after and in the south Perak peat forest. The fish is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list for endangered species. – October 19, 2021.
Pools of water form in the peat forest during the wet season. Fish are able to breed in the peat soil, which contains about 10% organic matter and 90% water. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Selangor Forestry Department data show that more than 3,400ha of forest were destroyed by fires in the years 2012-18. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Once home to the Sumatran rhinoceros, which is now extinct in the wild, the North Selangor peat forest is also the habitat of the Betta livida. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.The Selangor red betta, known the the locals as 'picat', is endemic to Selangor and the south Perak peat forest. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.An area of peat forest is cleared for development in Sungai Panjang in the district of Sabak Bernam. Selangor. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.The Selangor government is in the process of clearing 971ha of peat forest in the state for agriculture. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.The Wild Betta Lovers Malaysia group hopes to save the fish species from extinction. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Wild Betta Lovers Malaysia members catch the Betta livida to breed in an attempt to save the species from extinction. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Temuan Orang Asli of Kampung Busut Baru protest the government's plan to degazette the Kuala Langat Forest Reserve, one of the few remaining peat forests in Malaysia, on February 23, 2020. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.The land is denuded for a mixed commercial development just outside the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Kampung Busut Baru residents replant trees destroyed by fire in 2014. More than 12,000 trees have been planted to rewild the area. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Temuan Orang Asli voice their objection to the Selangor government's proposal to develop the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve, which is their home and source of living. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Youtubers Syakir Mesman and Badol record content about the Betta livida to grow awareness of the threat to their species. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.Adult Betta livida bred in captivity are released back into the wild. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 19, 2021.
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