KOTA KINABALU: Around 134kg of fish, believed to have been caught using explosives, was seized from a market in Sabah’s Kunak district during a three-day operation.
The Sabah Fisheries Department's Tawau regional officer Mohammad Rizal Socradji said the seizure was made in two raids at the Kunak Saturday market during Ops Todak, a crackdown on fish bombing.
“Kunak was the last leg of the operation that started in Semporna on Saturday (Feb 24),” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 27).
Ops Todak, conducted both on land and at sea, began at public markets and all premises selling fish or seafood.
Enforcement at sea saw officials checking fishing vessels, including commercial crafts, for explosives.
Ops Todak was initiated following Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew’s call for sterner action against fish bombers in Semporna, following complaints from conservationists.
Mohammad Rizal said 22 stalls in three main markets were checked, along with 25 boats and 10 commercial fishing vessels.
“No offences were recorded on any of the vessels we inspected,” he said, adding that Ops Todak was a joint effort involving several enforcement agencies.
