KUALA LUMPUR: Cases of fish bombing, which claimed the lives of three divers last Friday, are rare occurrence in the country, claims Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub (pix).
This is despite several dive masters and instructors claiming the practice, which uses explosives to stun or kill fish for easy collection, to be rampant in the waters of Sabah.
“It (fish bombing) is quite rare nowadays, but we still have a problem,” he told reporters in Parliament, here, today.
Following the fish bombing incident that killed two Chinese tourists and their local dive master in waters off Semporna in Sabah’s east coast, several instructors have claimed to have witnessed similar activities and that it was common to hear bombing sounds while diving.
One dive instructor was also reported to have said that on several occasions, he found dead fish littering the seabed from bombing activities.
Police have yet to officially confirm if the deaths of the three divers were due to the fish bombing.
Salahuddin said the ministry is currently awaiting a final report from the police before deciding on its next course of action.
“We also got to verify first who are the persons involved (in the bombing activities), so that we can take action in the future,” he said, adding the he would also be discussing the matter with Sabah’s Agriculture Ministry.
