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Fish bombing putting marine life, divers in danger, says expert

KOTA KINABALU: The dangerous practice of fish bombing is not letting up in Sabah any time soon.

Even after the nation was stunned by the deaths of a diving instructor and two tourists due to a blast near Pulau Kalapuan, Semporna, in July 5 last year, rampant underwater explosions continue to rattle in all the state’s coasts, including the protected Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park here, besides the waters off Kota Belud, Kudat, Semporna and Sandakan.

The professional diving community in Sabah had counted at least 80 explosions in the past seven months.

The latest blast was on Friday, when a group of 13 tourists, dive instructors and dive masters were stunned by shockwaves while diving near Pulau Gaya, which was within the protected Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

Sabah Sharks Protection Association founder Aderick Chong said the number of explosions was compiled from local divers in the five coastal districts of Sabah.

He said 28 underwater explosions were recorded during dives in the west coast of the state, including the protected Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (14), Pulau Gaya (six), Pulau Udar (two) and Sepanggar (six).

Between July and December last year, there were 21 underwater explosions in waters off Kota Belud, particularly near Pulau Mantanani (14), Usukan (one), and Mayne Rock (six); while one blast was heard near Pulau Maliangin off Kudat.

In the east coast, most underwater explosions were recorded in Semporna waters. The dive sites involved were Pulau Pom Pom (eight), Timba Timba (two), Mabul (two), Kapalai (five), Sipadan (three), Baturua Reef (one), Pandanan (one) and Sibuan (three). Divers had also recorded five explosions at Pulau Lankayan in Sandakan.

Aderick, who is founder of Ara Dinawan Research, Education and Conservation Centre, said the report was based on feedback from more than 100 divers.

“There are definitely more bombings than what we’ve got in this report. This is to show the government that there are many underwater bombs being set off in Sabah, and it is not a remote occurrence,” he said recently.

“Other countries that value their marine heritage have acted to conserve and protect their seas, to the extent of closing islands for recovery.

“Here, we are bombing away our heritage.”

Fish bombing uses explosives to stun or kill fish for easy collection, and its practice is increasing in the waters off Sabah. The homemade explosives are cheap and easy to make.

But the blast is powerful and poses a deadly risk to divers and tourists exploring the marine treasures of Sabah.

The New Straits Times, in a report in July 22 last year, revealed that there were 36 areas in Sabah that saw rampant fish bombing.

Marine police had told the NST that the illegal activity was spurred by the influx of immigrants.

However, the marine police said certain parties had exploited these immigrants because they were poor and uneducated.

Besides the July 5 deaths of a 31-year-old dive instructor and two Chinese tourists near Pulau Kalapuan, a teenage boy was also killed when a fish bomb exploded as he was hurling it into the sea near Pulau Gaya in March.

The latest bombing within Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park was believed to be carried out by two men, who fled after noticing the divers.

The latest incidents had raised concern among the diving fraternity, who urged the Sabah government and law enforcement authorities to step up measures to combat the illegal activity.

“At this rate of fish bombing, we can say goodbye to tourism and our marine ecosystem. But we, the local divers, will continue to dive,” said Aderick, who is a member of Dive Rangers.

“We won’t give in to the bombers. Of course, it’s a threat to us divers. And at times, the bombs are quite loud, indicating that they went off near us. We will continue to record and publish the findings,” he said.

After the recent incident, marine police have launched a manhunt for two suspects in Kampung Pasir Putih in Pulau Gaya yesterday. Although no arrest was made, one of the pump boats used in the fish bombing was seized.

Sabah Marine Police Force Region 4 commander Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Pajeri Ali said the marine intelligence unit personnel would continue to crack down on fish bombing and seize the bombers’ pump boats.

He urged divers to be the “eyes and ears” of the police.

“We hope to combat this illicit activity effectively. The marine police have its own diving team, and they can conduct training with private divers,” said Pajeri.

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