Junz Wong
KOTA KINABALU: The Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry will restrict the supply and sale of fish bombing material following the death of a teenager and the seizure of large quantity of bombed fish.
Its minister, Datuk Junz Wong, said his ministry through the Fisheries Department would work with the relevant departments to restrict the supply and purchase of items that are used in making fish bombs such as ammonium nitrate.
He praised the police for curbing fish bombing after detaining a man suspected of having 670kg and RM8,710 of bombed fish at Tiga Papan sea in Kudat recently.
The marine police had also seized a boat, an outboard engine and other equipment believed to be used in catching the fish.
In another incident, a teenager was killed off the coast of Pulau Gaya after he was believed to be hit by fish bomb which had exploded before it hit the sea.
Junz said fish bombing was not only dangerous but also very destructive to the marine ecosystem.
“It will damage the coral reefs which have taken years to grow and establish,” he said.
Junz said his ministry was looking at the situations very seriously
Fishing using explosives is punishable under Section 26(1)(c) of the Fisheries Act 1985.