85
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_7
Ethnoichtyological Survey of the Orang
Asli in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu
Muhammad Syamsul Aznan Ariffin, Faizah Mohamad Shaharom,
and Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah
Abstract Tasik Kenyir and its surrounding rainforests in Terengganu, Peninsular
Malaysia, are home to a rich biological diversity that support the livelihood of an
Orang Asli community, which depends heavily on the ecosystem. The Orang Asli
there have an excellent, sustainable way of utilising wildlife resources. Based on this
survey of acquatic species, a total of 32 fish from 14 families and six other species
(reptiles, amphibians) living in and around the lake are observed to be utilised by the
community. These fish and aquatic resources are eaten as food and medicine, kept as
pets, or traded for income. The data and usage information of these acquatic fauna
are important for the documentation of traditional knowledge and to understand
gaps and issues related to the sustainable livelihood of the Orang Asli in Tasik Kenyir.
Keywords Orang Asli · Tasik Kenyir · Fish · Biodiversity · Sustainable livelihood
Introduction
Ethnozoology has become a popular field around the world due to its versatility and
multi-disciplinary knowledge. It is derived from the field of ethnoscience, which
includes the knowledge, perception and classification of the world according to culture (Paz and Begossi 1996). Basically, ethnozoology is a study of the relationship
between certain cultures and animals, as well as their surroundings (Jaroli et al.
2010; Henderson and Harrington 1914). It may also be defined as the study of
human knowledge in the utilisation of animals (Overal 1990) besides the
M. S. A. Ariffin (*)
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia
Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
F. M. Shaharom
Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus,
Terengganu, Malaysia
M. T. Abdullah
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia
Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_7
Ethnoichtyological Survey of the Orang
Asli in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu
Muhammad Syamsul Aznan Ariffin, Faizah Mohamad Shaharom,
and Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah
Abstract Tasik Kenyir and its surrounding rainforests in Terengganu, Peninsular
Malaysia, are home to a rich biological diversity that support the livelihood of an
Orang Asli community, which depends heavily on the ecosystem. The Orang Asli
there have an excellent, sustainable way of utilising wildlife resources. Based on this
survey of acquatic species, a total of 32 fish from 14 families and six other species
(reptiles, amphibians) living in and around the lake are observed to be utilised by the
community. These fish and aquatic resources are eaten as food and medicine, kept as
pets, or traded for income. The data and usage information of these acquatic fauna
are important for the documentation of traditional knowledge and to understand
gaps and issues related to the sustainable livelihood of the Orang Asli in Tasik Kenyir.
Keywords Orang Asli · Tasik Kenyir · Fish · Biodiversity · Sustainable livelihood
Introduction
Ethnozoology has become a popular field around the world due to its versatility and
multi-disciplinary knowledge. It is derived from the field of ethnoscience, which
includes the knowledge, perception and classification of the world according to culture (Paz and Begossi 1996). Basically, ethnozoology is a study of the relationship
between certain cultures and animals, as well as their surroundings (Jaroli et al.
2010; Henderson and Harrington 1914). It may also be defined as the study of
human knowledge in the utilisation of animals (Overal 1990) besides the
M. S. A. Ariffin (*)
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia
Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
F. M. Shaharom
Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus,
Terengganu, Malaysia
M. T. Abdullah
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia
Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia