AFTER the sun sets, riverine villages in Kuala Selangor will light up. In the darkness, the synchronous flashing of the insect Pteroptyx tener illuminates the berembang (Sonneratia caseolaris) trees like Christmas lights.
The phenomenon was a well-kept secret until a foreign entomologist documented it in the early 1970s. A local villager, the late Jalaluddin Mohd Isa, started taking tourists on his wooden boat to see the sparkling trees in the 80s. In the early 90s, the Malaysian Nature Society mooted the idea of firefly ecotourism.
Accounts of the amazing experience spread far and wide and in a short span of time, a visit to Kampung Kuantan in Kuala Selangor topped the ecotourism chart in Selangor. While fireflies are commonly found in riverine ecosystems, it is the synchronous flashing by the species P. tener that produces the most spectacular effect.
Light show: Firefly watching has drawn hordes of tourists over the years. But this natural wonder faces constant threats – from the construction of the Sungai Selangor Dam to waste pollution and now, the destruction of its breeding habitat.
Jalaluddin’s son Razak says once the habitat is gone, so will the fireflies and the promising ecotourism activities. Spin-offs from firefly watching tours include seafood restaurants and homestay programmes that benefit the local economy.
“We pleaded for the river buffer to be adhered to but the developers did not heed the guidelines. Some landowners are unaware that their lands have been planted with oil palm or banana,” he says.
Boatman Mohd Shahir Saidun who grew up watching the fireflies notes that there has been a significant decrease in the beetle population in the past two years. “It used to be really spectacular. Almost all the trees would be lit. But now, we can count the number of trees (with fireflies aggregation). We feel helpless. I don’t know if I can hold on to this job for long,” says the 22-year-old who earns RM500 a month for the nightly three-hour job.
Razali Shamsudin, 57, claims that the landowners have migrated and so are not concerned about the fate of the firelies. The homestay operator from Kampung Tanjung Siam, upstream of Kampung Kuantan, says there are 12 families offering homestay packages.
Another boatman, Ali Hashim, 35, admits that it is embarassing when visitors are not satisfied with the “light show”.
“They came from far and went away disappointed. We are disappointed too but there’s very little that we can do. It’s a shame if we lose this natural wonder to greed and ignorance,” says Ali.
The manager of Kelip-kelip Trading, one of three joint-operators of the firefly watching business, is convinced that agriculture development can co-exist with ecotourism as long as the habitat is protected.
“What we see now is total disregard for guidelines and the relevant authorities are slow in responding,” he says.
For former boatman Abdul Malik Puteh, the destruction of the firefly habitat has dealt another blow to his earning capacity.
He has been collecting rumbia fronds for making thatched roof, earning RM50 a day.
“Now that the land is cleared, that source of income is gone. I now have to travel 4km further to collect nipah fronds instead,” he says.
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