OCCASIONALLY, fishermen will catch unusual animals in the course of their work and it can be a cause for alarm if what is caught in their traps or nets is of an endangered species.
It was claimed recently that an "empesut" or Irrawaddy dolphin was caught in the nets of a fisherman in Sarawak.
Is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) confirmed this in a Facebook post on Monday (May 13), saying that the dolphin was caught by a fisherman near Kampung Balai Ringin, Serian.
"The dolphin carcass was then referred to the village leader, Mohd Idris Manap for further action before finally being handed over to SFC for further investigation," it said.
SFC added that the extinction of such species has the potential to damage the ecosystem, adding that the public should also help to protect endangered wildlife species.
"The cooperation of all parties is very important to maintain the sustainability of marine life in the area," it said.
