Beyond The Bombs: Meet A Fish Bomber

On a trip in 2019, a volunteer observer for SFB-USA and SFB-MY, was able to conduct an interview with a current fish bomber.

Here are their observations:

“Harun” was Bajau Ubian (land Bajau from northern Borneo, not a sea gypsy Bajau Laut), and he fit every possible stereotype one might imagine a fish bomber to possess. He was middle aged, muscular, and fearless. He was partially paralyzed because of decompression sickness after a damaging compression dive foraging a shipwreck when he was much younger, but this doesn’t seem to deter him from continuing the dangerous activity even today. 

He had served a year and a half in jail after being arrested for fish bombing, and immediately returned to bombing after returning home from jail. His all black boat was inscribed with a depiction of a jaguar biting down on a sword, accompanied by the words “BERANI MATI” meaning “dare to die.” 

He seemed to live a comfortable life with all the basic needs accounted for, plus a cell phone, television, etc. He described that he doesn’t need to fish bomb, but he likes to; he described it as his “hobby.” 

He said that he is careful not to bomb over a reef, but focuses on schools of fish in deep water. He seemed to be aware of the capacity of bombs to damage reefs, and didn’t have malicious intentions whatsoever – he was simply impatient and opportunistic: he knew that casting a net would lead to a slightly smaller catch, even for the same school of fish, and would take much longer. 

When we asked him about what members of his community make of this he said that everyone in his community fish bombs, he just does it the most (and he was not ashamed of it). 

The conversation highlights the need for both technology and community involvement in order to stop fish bombing in Malaysia. Fish bombing, even off of the reefs, damage the sea life in the area and threaten legitimate fisheries and fishing practices.

In order to deter bombers, Stop Fish Bombing USA has deployed new technology to detect, locate, and alert marine enforcement authorities within minutes of a bomb detonation. But enforcement alone will not stop this practice. The project granted $45,000 to the Semporna Island Project for work within the community to find alternative livelihoods beyond fish bombing.