SEMPORNA – After two years of pandemic-induced silence, the sounds of blasts and explosions are back in the turquoise waters around Sabah.
"Since the borders have reopened, it is getting worse," said a professional guide who only wanted to be known as John.
The islands in Tun Sakaran Marine Park are rich in marine biodiversity, but have been threatened by the return of illegal fishing activities after pandemic lockdowns were lifted in Malaysia earlier this year.
Among the most destructive activities is fish bombing, also known as blast or dynamite fishing.
This form of destructive fishing threatens fish species, destroys coral reef habitats, reduces the resilience of these ecosystems to climate change, and puts the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities at risk, anti-fish bombing campaigners say.
Stricter law enforcement, high-tech underwater monitoring and community awareness campaigns have helped to reduce the problem, but campaigners warn against complacency.
Stop Fish Bombing Malaysia (SFB), an NGO that uses underwater sensors to give law enforcement rapid information on blast locations, said the number of reported incidents off Semporna were down by as much as 85 per cent in Nov as compared to the previous month.
But SFB said it continues to get reports of bombing activities occurring outside of its sensor locations.
The United Nation Biodiversity Conference (COP15) which begins today until Dec 19 in Montreal, Canada, will also touch on the importance of marine life such as the "Fish are carbon engineers" webinar via zoom on Dec 14.
In September, two guides working at John's dive company were escorting two tourists on a dive in the marine park when there was a large underwater explosion.
"Our two guides and guests were at 15-18 metres and suffered headaches and had to return to the surface", John said, adding it was likely a fish bomb that caused the blast.
In 2019, the deaths of two Chinese tourists and a local diving instructor drew national and international headlines. The scuba divers were killed by fish bombs near Kulapuan island.
Eight months after the Kulapuan incident, Malaysia imposed lockdown measures in March 2020 to fight the spread of Covid-19.
Private boats then needed a permit to operate in the waters off Sabah, and police stepped up patrols to enforce the pandemic measures, resulting in a significant drop in fish bombings, John said.
Now, there are fears the lifting of pandemic movement controls will revive blast fishing in secluded areas such as Selakan island, located within the Tun Sakaran Marine Park off Semporna. The massive marine park includes 340 sq kilometres of sea area and coral reefs, along with 10 sq kilometres of land, mostly islands.
The park's Selakan and Bohey Dulang islands are renowned among scuba divers and underwater photographers seeking to capture images of rare Lembeh Sea Dragons and pygmy seahorses living in the waters around the islands.
"It is a niche market but they are willing to spend more money as compared to other tourism activities in Semporna," said John, adding the area is a magnet for so-called "muck divers" who slowly explore the seabed for interesting marine life.
"Divers who come for muck diving would spend days here. Some will even dive at the same spots to take more pictures or explore more species," he added.
"But there was a time when it was devastating to come back and see the same underwater landscape destroyed in less than 24 hours due to fish bombing," John recalled of the incident just when tourists started coming in after the movement control order was lifted around April this year.
There are now only a dozen suitable dive sites in the area after three sites were destroyed by blast fishing within a span of a few months this year, John said.
As for who is behind the latest blasts, John said the local community has seen unidentified pump boats – utility craft often used for transport and fishing, in areas where suspicious blasts have occurred.
"The sea around Semporna is vast and authorities have limited manpower to fight illegal fishing activities," said SFB Executive Director Terence Lim, adding that all stakeholders need to work together. This includes efforts to help find alternative livelihoods for those who fish bomb to feed their families.
"It is crucial for others, such as diving and resort operators and maritime communities to work together to reduce fish bombing incidents," Lim said.