Sabah MMEA detains 7 over fish bombing

Wednesday, October 12, 2016
By Olivia Miwil
Pictures by Edmund Samunting

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained seven men for fish bombing activity in waters off here on Monday.

State MMEA director First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som said the arrest was made when the personnel were patrolling the waters at about 11pm.

“The private fishing boat was stopped near waters off Manukan island and believed to head to the city.

“Upon inspection, enforcement officers found equipment believed to be explosives and detonators on the boat,” he said after inspecting the seized boat at MMEA jetty in Sepanggar near here yesterday.

MMEA also found 400 kilogrammes of bombed fish on the boat valued at about RM1,000.

The case will be investigated under Fisheries Act 1985 for using explosives to fish.
Zubil added five of them also had dubious documents while the rest failed to provide any papers.

The crew, aged between 20 and 50, would also be investigated under Immigration Act 1959/1968.

Fishing bombing activities have been rampant in Sabah for the past years and detrimental to marine system especially the coral reefs. 

The state Fisheries department had reported between 60 and 80 blasting annually.

Early this year, Sabah marine police had aggressively cutting supply of explosives from neighbouring countries to end fish bombing in the state.




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