Fish bombers chased out of the water

Illegal catch: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency personnel inspecting the confiscated fish in cold boxes on the suspects’ boats in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

KOTA KINABALU: Marine police seized some 200kg of fish that were believed to have been caught using explosives in waters within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

Kota Kinabalu maritime director First Admiral Adam Aziz said the fish were seized from two pump boats that were abandoned by their skippers following a chase near Pulau Gaya at about 12.40am yesterday.

“Our men were doing the usual patrols when they saw the pump boats,” he said

“When they headed towards the boats, the skippers sped off and jumped into the sea before escaping into some mangrove areas and disappeared,” he said in a statement.

A check on the two pump boats led to the discovery of the various types of fish and items believed to be used for fish bombing.

Fish bombing, First Admiral Adam said, would not only endanger the lives of the fishermen and those nearby but also destroy the environment and marine ecosystem.

He warned fishermen not to resort to such tactics in their bid for an easy catch.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park was gazetted in 1974 to protect its unique flora, fauna and marine eco-system. It covers an area of about 50sq km.