RUTLAND: Sabah secured a landmark conservation partnership at the 2025 Global Bird Fair, with the Sabah Bird Watchers Association signing a strategic agreement with the World Pheasant Association (WPA).
The Memorandum of Understanding, inked during the three-day event at Lyndon Top Caravan Park, promises to boost scientific collaboration and international birding programmes in the Borneo state.
Leading a delegation of tourism officials and industry representatives, Sabah Tourism Board Deputy Chairman Datuk Tan Kok Liang described the partnership as evidence of Sabah’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and nature-based tourism.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“This shows how active participation in international platforms can yield outcomes for Sabah, particularly in birding tourism,” Tan said, adding that the collaboration would benefit both environmental conservation and rural communities.
The Sabah contingent includes major eco-tourism operators such as Tabin Wildlife Resort, Borneo Trails and Borneo Rainforest Lodge, all working to position Sabah as Southeast Asia’s premier birdwatching destination.
The partnership builds on connections facilitated by naturalist Quentin Phillipps and follows a visit to Sabah by World Pheasant Association Vice President John Corder earlier this year.
With the UK hosting some six million registered birdwatchers and the Global Bird Fair attracting an estimated 10,000 visitors annually, Sabah is targeting a notable niche market for its nature tourism offerings.
Royal Brunei Airlines is supporting the initiative by providing enhanced flight connectivity for UK birdwatchers seeking to explore Sabah’s rich avian biodiversity.