Parit Jawa - Johor’s haven for bird watchers

PARIT JAWA: Arriving at Kuala Parit Jawa, one will be greeted by the mildly salted breeze sweeping in from the Straits of Malacca and a laid back charm hovering over the deserted streets.

The small fishing village, with pre-war shophouses lining along the 1km main road leading to a wooden jetty, only comes alive in the evening as fishermen return with their harvests.

 

GOOD HARVEST . .. a fisherman spreading out his catch to dry before turning it to salted fish.

The multi-facet of this little village, some 15km from Muar, has in recent years slowly transformed into a tourist destination, especially between October and March when many types of migratory birds stop over to feed offshore.

Bird lovers and photography enthusiasts from near and far have been flocking this village which has only one budget hotel, much to the amazement of the locals who view the muddy channel filled with wooden fishing boats and colourful birds resting on stilts as a common sight.

During the weekends, the usually deserted road would suddenly become congested with cars, including Singapore-registered vehicles, as visitors head for the seafood restaurants for value-for-money meals.

Asam fish head, steam fish with dried salted radish, prawns in claypot and stir fried vegetables freshly plucked from the backyard –just to name a few – are definitely a pulling force for food enthusiasts to travel the kilometres for hours.

Fishermen Lee Kuang Heng, 63, said the village had undergone some improvement over the past decade, including a restored wooden jetty and tarred road linking to nearby villages surrounded by orchards.

“Last time, there was no other activity here except fishing -–preparing nets and traps making fish balls, drying and salting less-marketable fish and so on.

“Many youngsters have left the village because there is hardly any career prospect here,” he said.

Things are set to change.

State Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek recently announced that Parit Jawa would be earmarked as an eco-sanctuary to preserve rare species of birds, which could become an asset for tourism.

In conjunction with the Visit Johor Year 2003, Parit Jawa will be promoted as a haven for bird watching.

The state government also plans to build a tower for that purpose.

Efforts are also underway to erect signboards to educate visitors to treasure the birds – including storks, known as burung botak by the locals due to its featherless head; herons, kingfishers, mongolian plovers, egrets and redshanks.

The host of wildlife in Kuala Parit Jawa has also attracted researchers from Singapore and Japan.

In fact, an environmental-based society named Ecology Asia in Singapore was so impressed that a website was dedicated to promote Parit Jawa at http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/parit-jawa.htm.

For those who have no interest in animals except when they end up in acooking pot, a seafood treat during sunset –with birds circling the reddish sky – can be equally rewarding.