Poached corals going for RM20 a piece, reefs ravaged

Ridzwan Abdullah, The New Straits Times 17 Nov 07

SEREMBAN: The country's coral reefs, many of which have been damaged by tourism and development activities, face a new threat.

Corals are being stolen and sold in the black market.

In the latest incident on Wednesday, the state Fisheries Department seized 150 pieces of coral stolen from the waters off Tanjung Tuan in Port Dickson.

Acting on a tip-off from local residents, fisheries officers rushed to the coastal area and spotted a sampan and two men fleeing into the nearby mangroves.

The damage, however, has been done as the officers found a tonne of corals of various sizes in the sampan.

Negri Sembilan/Malacca Fisheries director Mohd Sufian Sulaiman said the corals were worth RM7,500 based on its black-market value of RM50 a piece.

If they are sold through middlemen, the collectors earn about RM20 a piece.

"There is a high demand for the corals from those in the ornamental fish trade," Sufian said here yesterday.

The case is being investigated under section 31 and section 49 of the Fisheries Act 1985. Those convicted face a maximum fine of RM20,000 or two years' jail or both.

Sufian warned the public not to enter restricted waters as they were protected by law.

The coastal waters off Tanjung Tuan and Pulau Besar were gazetted as prohibited areas under the Fisheries Act in 1998.

The Fisheries Department will increase patrols in the area to prevent encroachment by thieves and trespassers.

"This particular area is an attraction as unlike other coral reefs, it is located on a flat coastline and not along offshore islands," Sufian said.

He added that thefts of the corals were also destroying the sensitive marine ecosystem and natural breeding grounds for fish.

Sufian urged the public to contact the department at 06-6752160 if they had information on such activities.