Decades-old issue of fish bombing could become a thing of the past, as enforcement efforts transition towards full digitalisation and the use of marine forensic techniques for more efficient detection and prevention.

Bilkuin Jimi Salih doesn’t remember how old he was when he learned to dive, only, that all the men in his family can do it.

Around 134kg of fish, believed to have been caught using explosives, was seized from a market in Sabah’s Kunak district during a three-day operation.

More serious action is needed to tackle fish bombing in Sabah Semporna, says state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has seized four boats believed to be involved in fish-bombing activities off Sabah’s east coast Semporna district.

Authorities have seized a boat used for fish-bombing activities near Pulau Omadal in Semporna waters.

KOTA KINABALU: A non-governmental organisation aims to involve the public in coral restoration efforts, especially for areas that have been affected by fish bombing.

One blast can irreversibly destroy precious parts of her – the foundational coral reef itself, that are critically important economic contributors to the State.

Fish bombing activities in one of Sabah’s diving havens of Semporna have reduced significantly over the past three years, thanks to real-time bomb-detecting devices.

A new and innovative four-year programme, funded by the European Union and led by the Semporna Islands Project and WWF-Malaysia, was launched during a collaborative and productive stakeholder workshop held in Semporna on May 9–10.

Now that our Integrated Reef Protection System has us on the path to a technological solution, we have begun to turn our focus on to a more holistic approach.

After two years of pandemic-induced silence, the sounds of blasts and explosions are back in the turquoise waters around Sabah.