Malaysia: Fish-bombing deaths - Agriculture Ministry waiting full report from cops

martin carvalho, hemananthani sivanandam, rahimy rahim, and tarrence tan The Star 8 Jul 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is awaiting the full police report on the two Chinese tourists and their local divemaster who were believed to have been killed by fish bombs while diving in waters off Semporna in Sabah's east coast on Friday (July 5).

Its minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said that such cases were rare and he would wait for the full details from the police before making any comments.

"We will wait for the actual report from the police. I think the police can investigate it swiftly," he told reporters at the parliament lobby Monday (July8).

It was reported that tourism operators are blaming fish-bombing activities for the deaths, but the police have yet to officially confirm it.

The two Chinese tourists were identified as Zhao Zheng and Xu Yingjie.

According to witnesses in Semporna, there were several fishing boats operated by sea gypsies near where the three divers were killed.

Asked on the next course of action, Salahuddin said he would let the authorities investigate the case.

"We have to verify first who is involved so that we can take action in the future," he added.

Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) president Datuk Winston Liaw had condemned fishermen using fish bombs in their operations and urged authorities to take immediate action against the offenders.

Diving tragedy: Fish bombing rampant in Sabah, divers claim
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 7 Jul 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Fish bombing, the practice of using explosives to stun or kill fish for easy collection, is rampantly practised in the waters of Sabah.

Dive master Ivan Martin said he has witnessed fish bombing activities take place while diving off Mari Mari Sepanggar island, near here.

“Our ears become uncomfortable when the blast occurs, although the source is far away.

“However, we cannot (pinpoint the culprits) as there are many fishing boats around,” he said.

Another dive instructor, Emmanuele Girellie, said that it is common to hear bombing sounds while diving at the famed Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, which is a marine area under the jurisdiction of Sabah Parks.

“Any professional diver at the park would have felt and heard (bomb explosions) before.

“The sudden loud sound scares everyone, even the (dive) instructors!

“When it is closer, we sometimes think one of our O-rings (from the scuba gear) has just blown, until a few seconds later, when we realise that it was due to a fish bombing,” he said.

Emmanuele said on several occasions, he found dead fish from bombing activities littering the seabed.

In Kota Belud, diver Suraidah Roslan said she was quite shaken up when she heard the sound of a fish bomb exploding for the first time.

Despite the shock, she remained calm due to instructions and assurance from her dive guide to stay under water.

Marine police officers inspect documents of some of the boats in the waters of Sabah. -NSTP/Courtesy of Charles Mawan
“There were two or three continuous sounds of explosions. If they (had been closer to us), I think our eardrums would have been damaged,” she said.

A dive operator based in Kudat, Charles Mawan, said fish bombing activities began increasing since last year.

He recalled hearing between three to four blasts during each dive, which would last about 45 minutes.

“They drop the fish bomb some 4 or 5 kilometres away from diving areas, but (the shockwave) makes our hearts jump each time.

“(But) when we emerge at the water’s surface, the (fish bombers) would be nowhere in sight,” he said.

Charles said that after operators in Kudat lodged reports to authorities on the fish bombings, such incidents saw a significant reduction.

As for Semporna, where a dive guide and two Chinese tourists died on Friday from suspected fish bombing, the district is not spared from the illegal and destructive fishing method.

Underwater photographer Joe Starzz said that the impact of bombing is also quite often heard underwater off Kapalai, Mabul and the Sipadan islands.

“When it happens, we just continue with our dive and tell other divers later (that it was fish bombing) after we finish,” said Joe, who is also a dive master.

Sabah Marine Police (Region 4) commander Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Pajeri Ali said that from January to June this year, 30 arrests were made and items valued at RM100,113 related to fish bombing were confiscated in the state.


WWF Malaysia wants all-out war against fish bombers
muguntan vanar The Star 7 Jul 19;

KOTA KINABALU: WWF Malaysia is calling for increased efforts to combat illegal fish-bombing activities that have been occurring in Sabah for decades.

WWF Malaysia's interim marine head Monique Sumampouw said fish-bombing was a matter of life and death, which not only affects marine life but human beings as well.

WWF-Malaysia urges the authorities to urgently stop "Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)" fishing, in particular fish bombs and the ban of pump boats.

Pump boats are typically small, cheaply-made vessels usually associated with illegal fishing activities and used by illegal immigrants.

In a statement on Sunday (July 7), WWF-Malaysia also called for increased patrolling and monitoring, as well as strengthening enforcement to prevent fish bombing.

She said that there was a need to tackle the problem which was "serious and reoccurring" for decades in Sabah.

Based on a four-month study conducted by WWF-Malaysia in Semporna between June-September 2018, a total of 263 fish-bombing was recorded.

"It is shocking that just within a four-month study period, we recorded an average of 65 fish-bombing cases in 2018. Clearly, urgent action needs to be carried out immediately to combat fish bombing," Sumampouw said.

The WWF statement comes in wake of the deaths of three divers in Semporna on Friday in what police suspect was due to fish-bombing activities near a dive site in the district's Pulau Kalapuan waters.

She said WWF-Malaysia was deeply troubled by the deaths of the divers.

"We would like to express our sincere sympathy to the family of the divers and their friends.

"Their deaths are tragic, and we do not wish them upon anyone else.

"This method of collecting fish is not only illegal, it is harmful for it uses explosives that pose great danger to people and destroy fish habitats such as coral reefs," Sumampouw added.

"Ceasing IUU fishing is an investment towards our future – to safeguard and conserve our marine life as well as protect our people.

Let us not lose our marine life as we have lost our rhinoceros in the wild," Sumampouw added.

Diving fraternity wants fish bombing to be dealt with seriously
Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 7 Jul 19;

SEMPORNA: Sabah’s diving fraternity has called upon the authorities to tackle fish bombing activities in the state’s waters in a resolute manner.

Malaysia diving ambassador Clement Lee said all quarters, especially state authorities, need to treat fish bombing as a serious issue as it is harmful to both marine life and humans alike.

"We should not wait until a tragedy occurs, and then start to talk about it. We must not leave it to the very last minute (to tackle the matter)," he said.

Lee, who is among the two Professional Association Diving Instructors (PADI) directors in the country, said fish bombing activities were rampant in Sabah’s waters.

He said divers could hear explosions underwater while they were in the waters at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park off here, Mantani Island off Kota Belud, Kudat, and Semporna.

"If the explosion can damage internal organs of a fish, imagine what it can do to humans.

"We need to talk about fish bombing because it is an issue. Authorities should not be slow in taking action (against fish bombing culprits).

"Enforcement needs to be put in place to eradicate such activities completely and the people from the 'kampung' , divers as well as boatmen must become the eyes and ears of authorities," said Lee.

He said the death of three divers in Semporna last Friday, including two Chinese nationals, believed to be caused by a fish bomb explosion, should serve as lesson for all quarters to take this issue seriously.

Semporna Professional Divers Association chairman Abdul Razak Ismail said the time had come for authorities to establish a squad of marine rangers to combat fish bombing particularly in Semporna.


“Semporna tourism is progressing well and there are tourists every day. They come here to dive and snorkel.

“Perhaps local professional divers can be absorbed as marine rangers to help monitor illegal activities that could jeopardise safety of tourists and visitors who are involved in sea activities,” he said, adding that the marine rangers could also act as guardians of the reef.

Razak also pointed out the need to have detailed guidelines and proper training for local professional divers so that they could carry out their job accordingly and assist the authorities.

Fish bombing hurting Semporna
Roy Goh New Straits Times 8 Jul 19;

SEMPORNA: It will be hard for many to resist the natural charm of Semporna district in the east coast of Sabah.

Despite the many challenges faced by the district, people keep returning to the islands to experience the marine life.

Blessed with 49 islands, including the world-renowned island of Sipadan, the district is expanding and progressing as its popularity as a dive haven continues to grow.

From a sleepy seaside town to a bustling island getaway, the district has overcome many obstacles and continues to attract visitors.

But with the increasing popularity comes greater responsibility, especially in ensuring the safety of visitors.

Last week, three divers were killed while diving near Pulau Kulapuan and evidence pointed to the possibility of fish bombing. They were dive instructor Ab Zainal Abdu and Chinese tourists Zhao Zhong and Xu Yingjie, both 26.

Fish bombing has been a scourge in the district, where people catch fish using homemade explosives made from fertilisers mixed with kerosene and ignited with a detonator and fuse.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said stricter penalties needed to be imposed on fish bombing as it was harmful and destructive to humans and the environment.

She made the call following the deaths of the three divers.

“I understand that this incident could have been avoided. Fish bombing still happens and it has to be addressed.

“It saddens me that lives were taken due to this irresponsible act of fish bombing, which is illegal,” said Liew, who is also the state tourism, culture and environment minister.

She urged the authorities to be vigilant and enforce the law to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

“This incident goes beyond the safety of tourists diving in the area, but areas which we consider to be a treasure to us.”

Echoing similar sentiments was Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, who condemned fish bombing as it affected the ecosystem and endangered people.

Semporna Fisherman’s Association chairman Salleh Abdul Salleh said illegal immigrants were to be blamed for fish bombing because it brought “fast returns” as they were not bothered about what happened to their surroundings.

“Semporna is becoming increasingly popular as a dive attraction and more people are visiting the islands, while we are also seeing better days in the fishing industry.

“However, we need to be more strict and put in more stringent regulations to ensure fishermen like us can do our jobs and those in the tourism industry are better protected.”

Salleh suggested the introduction of jet skis to patrol and chase fish bombers in shallow waters and setting up more outposts to respond to security or medical emergencies.

“People who use fish bombs flee to shallow waters to escape from the authorities. They will find it hard to escape jet skis,” he said, adding that jet skis could also be used for rescue operations.

Pearl seller Karim Jamin said the district would need to introduce more stringent regulations in running tour boats, fishing activities and island trips.

“In the last few years, you can see tourists flocking to the district in huge numbers. We are benefiting, but there is always the threat from cross-border criminals and illegal immigrants who are involved in crimes.

“Fish bombing is just one activity. There is also smuggling, turtle hunting and other crimes. We need help from the authorities and the community.

“We need to make sure our district remains safe from all these threats by cooperating with the authorities.”