Mangroves And Ecotourism: Ecological Or Economical?

by Ahmad Mahdzan Ayob

3. What does a mangrove swamp have to offer?

As an ecotourism site, a mangrove wetland has to compete with many more appealing sites, such as a sandy beach, a marine park that allows snorkeling or scuba diving, state woodland parks, jungle trails, waterfalls, bird watching at bird sanctuaries, inland wetlands, etc.

It would be interesting to ask people randomly how they would rank these alternative sites as places for outdoor recreation. My suspicion is that a mangrove swamp will not be on the top of the list. Why? In a mangrove swamp, one cannot simply walk about without getting soiled and dirty, unless special boardwalks have been built, and even then, the walk has to follow a set trail.

There is no scenic beauty there unless one is a mangrove specialist or a forester or a botanist trying to identify tree and plant species; the tide has to be right before a boat ride can be arranged. Yes, one can listen to sounds of birds and insects, but it is difficult to actually see large birds that are often pictured in the brochures. These birds must be very shy of people or easily frightened.

Mangroves are for the “scholarly” type – those who want to learn the scientific aspects of the forest (flora and fauna), the economic and ecological benefits of mangroves to man, etc. Mangroves provide “educational recreation” – if there is such a term. Some of the “interesting” discoveries one can make by visiting a mangrove with a trained guide or a forester are:

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  There are many other species of plants growing in mangroves besides the bakau; for example the Nipah palm (Nypa sp.), rattan (Calamus sp) and nibong (Oncosperma sp), and some ferns (piai or Acrostichum spp.) can be seen growing among the bakau species. These have little economic value and are left to grow for the sake of biodiversity.

• The “seeds” of the bakau, known as propagules, start to germinate on the trees; and when they drop, the long root is “designed” to stick into the mud, thus ensuring its survival. Crabs are its worst enemy! When young they are succulent and provide food for these crustaceans.

• Mangroves have the ability to grow in salt or brackish water and are a life support for various types of fish, mollusks (seashells), and crustaceans (crabs, prawns and shrimps).

• In addition to controlling coastal erosion the mangroves can expand into the sea, a process known as accretion; this results in an increase in area of mangroves – a sort of natural land reclamation!

• The root system of the bakau (Rhizophora spp.) is unique, or even “weird” as the modern youth would have it, compared to most inland tree species; but it is quite “interesting” to look at the stilt roots (this is an opinion!).

• The Matang Mangrove is actually a charcoal production “complex” – its uses a renewable resource, unlike coal mining in other countries where coal deposits are extracted, leaving the country “poorer” from the perspective of resource endowment.

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