KOTA KINABALU: The blooming of jellyfish, which has been in effect in Sabah's west coast since early this year, is expected to persist until next month.
State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Junz Wong said this could be due to the favourable weather conditions for the species.
"The jellyfish season is expected to persist throughout this dry and hot weather conditions, probably until May this year," Wong said in a statement Sunday (April 21).
He said the Sabah Fisheries Department has despatched a team to investigate the situation at Tanjung Aru Beach here, one of the locations with blooming jellyfish.
The team was able to tentatively identify one dominant jellyfish species - the "obor-obor pasir" (black spotted jellyfish).
"The tentacles of this species can cause itching and/or allergic reactions upon contact with skin, causing inflammation and swelling on affected body parts of a victim.
"To prevent from being stung, I advise the public to wear full-body swimming suit whenever possible.
"The public should also avoid picking up dead jellyfish," he said, adding that they may still have live nematocysts that can release toxins.
"The public should comply with warning instructions where red flags are raised in swimming areas over the presence of jellyfish."
This is to warn all swimmers not to go into the water, Wong said.
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