KOTA KINABALU: Divers in Sabah’s east coast Pom-Pom island off Semporna are furious over spearfishing in the area and want the authorities to act.
Tropical Research and Conservation Centre (TRACC) director Robin Philippo said they noticed three men carrying spears with their catch during a dive in the island's waters on Nov 28.
He said apart from destroying marine ecosystems and disrupting restoration efforts, spear-fishers pose a danger to other divers.
He told The Star of his diving expedition's encounter with three spear-fishers in scuba gear.
“When they saw us, they wanted to get out of our sight as quickly as possible. These three (pose) a massive safety concern,” Philippo told The Star on Tuesday (Dec 3).
ALSO READ: Semporna divers lodge report over spearfishing video
“We have been trying to restore Pom-Pom’s fish populations for more than a decade, only to see them removed by spearfishers.
“This goes against everything we stand for... and (our) work to restore these reefs and their populations," he added
Philippo shared a video of the incident on the TRACC Facebook page, calling for anyone who can identify the divers to come forward.
He said after being caught in the act, the spearfishers made an unsafe ascent to the surface and fled the area in their boat.
ALSO READ: Sabah authorities investigating video of divers touching turtles and spearfishing in Semporna
Philippo said it was disappointing to see spearfishers still lurking in these waters after a similar incident was highlighted in the media some six months back.
He said this time, it happened on TRACC's "house reef" where daily research, training, survey and fun dives are carried out by volunteers, many of whom are from outside Malaysia.
“(Spearfishing poses) a massive hazard and safety concern for our divers,” he stressed.
