Barn owls for pest control

Bosi participants being shown how to assemble a barn owl nest box.

IN advocating sustainability, the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) has joined up with the Barn Owl and Rodent Research Group (BORG), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), to use owls to control rats in plantations.

The launch of the Barn Owl for Oil Palm Smallholders Initiative (Bosi) was held at the Al-Huda Mosque, Bandar Baharu, Kedah.

Barn owls have been widely proven to be effective in the biological control of pests.

Numerous studies have shown that rats can comprise up to 99% of barn owls’ diet, while a pair of barn owls and their nestlings can consume 1,300 rats a year.

By establishing a local barn owl population through the Bosi programme, smallholders will not only effectively reduce the rat population but also minimise the use of rodenticides which are known to have harmful chemical effects on the biodiversity in oil palm plantations.

The collaboration will see 20 artificial nest boxes installed in the Bandar Baharu area to attract barn owls to use them.

A GPS mapping technique will ensure the artificial nest boxes are evenly distributed at one box per 5ha.

BORG USM coordinator Dr Hasber Salim, who is associate professor at the School of Biological Sciences at USM, said, “Our team will closely monitor the occupancy of barn owls in the nest boxes and their breeding as well as the rat population in the area to ensure the objective is met.”

MPOGCF general manager Zamakhshari Muhamad believes the initiative is a long-term sustainable solution in pest control at oil palm plantations.

“We are confident that when the rat population is reduced, plantation owners will see less losses and thus improve their yield,”he said at the launch.

Also present were Prof Dr Abu Hassan Ahmad, who is BORG advisor, MPOGCF conservation manager Ahmad Shahdan Kasim and project members from both organisations.

The ceremony concluded with a giveaway of barn owl nest boxes and certificates of participation to the oil palm smallholders involved in Bosi as well as a demonstration on assembling the nest boxes.

MPOGCF is an initiative mooted by the Plantation and Commodities Ministry (MPIC) to support conservation initiatives related to the palm oil industry.

It has funded projects such as the 1-Million Tree Planting Programme, the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary, Sabah’s Wildlife Rescue Unit and the Malayan Tiger Conservation Programme.

For more information on Bosi and other activities by BORG USM, visit borg.usm.my.

To learn more about MPOGCF, visit www.mpogcf.org.