worldwildlife.org
Based on an interview with Ruwindiyarto (Telapak)
The modern history of swiftlet bird nests harvest in East Kalimantan started in the 1940s. The communities had harvested the bird nests in the areas of Telang Teba and Sungai Peta then. Some community groups believed that several clans had inherited rights to manage the bird nests from generation to generation. The harvesting of bird nests stopped during the Japanese occupation, and then started again in the 1960s. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the swiftlet bird nests had been important commodities since the late 18 century, bartered for tiles and china from China.
Pak Jaui Puling is a community leader and village headperson of Long Peso, Subdistrict of Long Peso. He is also the head of a group which manages the harvest of swiftlet bird nests. The group’s name is Semangat Anda (Your Enthusiasm) or abbreviated to SA. The group comprises eighteen households. One of Pak Jaui Puling sons has his own group, notably Semua Anggota Harus Berhasil (All Members Must be Successful) or abbreviated to SAHB, that comprises twelve households. Those two groups are considered as prominent community groups among other bird nests harvesters along the river Kayan. In 1993 the community-based bird nests havester groups within the limits of Subdistrict of Long Peso established an association, with Sulang Kedung as the chairman and Pak Jaui Puling as the association advisor. The association had received endorsement from the Subdistrict government. The association is the umbrella of 41 community-based bird nests harvester groups (comprising about 400 households) from fourteen villages within the limits of Subdistricts of Long Peso and Tanjung Palas. At the district level (District of Bulungan), there is a similar association, namely the Swiftlet Bird Nests Harvesters Cooperative, led by Pak Mendhan in Jelarai. Pak Mendhan is also the prominent sponsor for most of the community harvesters’ groups.
Pak Jaui Puling started harvesting bird nests in early 70s. Before that year Pak Jaui Puling was a gaharu and rattan harvester. However, the oldest caves managed by Pak Jaui Puling and his groups had been discovered only in 1977. In the beginning the group started with five caves. Nowadays they manage twelve caves. Like other harvesters along the river Kayan, each cave is given a name. Ownership of the caves are based on the history of who discovered them and is deliberated with other harvester groups. Conflicts over the management of caves are a common occurrence; for instance, the Ahli Waris (Inheritance) cave in Lepok Kepang. The cave was discovered by Pak Jaui Puling’s group. It had been managed for a while by this group, but later Pak Kirib claimed that the cave belonged to his ancestors and that he is the owner of the cave. The conflict was resolved through a long deliberation. The Ahli Waris cave is nowadays managed by Pak Kirib and his group. Many other cases indicate that most conflicts over a cave’s management are resolved through direct deliberation among the harvester groups. This atmosphere has, however, changed recently, after intensive intervention by non-local big investors, also involving local government and police officers. The situation then becomes very complicated.
The swiftlet bird nest havester groups along the river Kayan regularly pay taxes to the government. Pak Jaui Puling showed notes and receipts of tax payments for the past six years, with data on size of harvests, along with the percentage of taxation and amount of tax payment made to the local government. Since early 1998 the groups have been faced with a new tax by the local government, notably Forest Products Fee, which has been imposed by a local government regulation. The Provincial Forestry Service (Dinas Kehutanan Tk. I) collects the fees. However, there is no implementation guidance on the new tax, which then confuses harvester groups like Pak Jaui Puling’s. They have not made any payments to the government on the new tax. They are very worried about this uncertain situation. They are worried that they will be forced to pay the accumulated tax when the government someday asks for payment. If this happens, it’ll be easy for the government to accuse the community harvester groups of disobeying their obligation to pay the tax. This has happened in many similar cases throughout the country where the government has used this method to takeover an established community practice. [example?] It is also the case, where in the name of increasing regional gross domestic product (GDP), that the local government will invite involvement of big investors. Often the government may use security forces to back up this scenario.
If we look at the stability of harvest data over years, we can assume that the harvest system employed by the community groups is based on conservation principles. The harvest system is based on taking two harvests, then eggs are allowed to hatch and juvenile birds fledged, then another harvest is made and the caves cleaned. This method appears to allow the swiftlet populations to regenerate. The harvesters are aware if they over-exploit the resources they will in turn loss the benefits for the following generations. Therefore, these kinds of community-based practices in utilizing natural resources should be protected. They should not be taken over by more commerical approaches, which might be more effective in terms of “production” and more efficient in terms of “costs”, BUT ????
