Great question, Colin!!
So the good news is that we have all the water that we want. There was at one point a potential conflict with another interested party bringing In an alternative approach - zones of any method (fish kill) and no fishing zones - similar to projects in east Malaysia. After long discussion we have all the water we want, it’s C&R, fly only, no conflict. This is of course the only way this project will work. So I’m very happy with that.
So we have full support of the park - hell it was their idea in the first place!
The river right now is in perfect condition, following the wet season it is now low and gin clear. Without Covid we would have international guests. Guests haven’t been able to fly into Malaysia since last March. And unlikely now for most of the year too I imagine. Even I can’t access the river at the moment!
But we have a local FFing market of some 400 FFers who want to fish, fish here, and who can’t fly out of Malaysia with travel restrictions.
Currently in Malaysia we have a restricted movement control order in place. Orang Asli settlements are strictly out of bounds. There is no interstate travel and you must be within 10km radius of your homes. This may change this week.
What I expect is within the next 2 weeks I will have one final organising trip with the OA to check the river, some more guiding preparations, build this season’s camp. I would like to get a couple of green toilets with nice bamboo housings built, put some signs in place, mark the main tracks etc. And then, when MCO allows, we will have local FFing guests for the next months. We are planning to shoot a TV episode here in March (for a major network that I can’t reveal
). But the producers would very much prefer that the guides have actually guided before we film this.
I will be around for these guiding trips to help smoothen everything out. We are working on their website. Etc etc. But like everyone we are very much at the mercy of COVID. The lake (not just the OA community) was shut these past two weeks (one Covid case on the houseboats).
I reckon we will be systems go in about 2 weeks. The government is talking about 60-70% Malaysia inoculated by this time next year. The vaccine programme rolls out soon.
Everyone is obviously very much determined to keep Covid out from the Orang Asli communities. So this is naturally taking priority above all else.
Cheers, Paul