KOTA KINABALU: Sabah wants the Federal Government to return its fisheries power in order to stop shark hunting and finning in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said one of the federal-state government negotiations on devolution of power was centred around gaining full autonomy on fisheries.
“It is true. If we make our own laws, we can’t be overriding the Federal Act, which will be null and void,” said Yahya, echoing and agreeing with Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun’s recent sentiments on the issue.
“There are negotiations for autonomy, right? That was part of what we have requested … to give the Fisheries Act back to Sabah. Even Sarawak is asking for it.
“We want to take back our rights, as per before the extension of the Fisheries Act, parliament enactment,” he explained.
Yahya, who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, stressed that the Fisheries Act is actually under the Federal Government.
Even the state’s deep fishing licensing must be acquired from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, he added.
“So when they give it back to us, then we can have our own law, there can then be provisions on shark finning, sharks cannot be hunted,” emphasized the Deputy Chief Minister.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek had announced that Sabah has the option and ability to enact its own shark hunting laws as the State Fisheries Department operates on all sharks under the Fisheries Act.
He overruled the possibility of a blanket ban on all sharks under the Fisheries Act.
However, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said a Sabah law enactment on shark hunting and finning can only be effective if it does not contradict with the existing precedence of the country’s federal Fisheries Act.