The Malaysian Insight

BLAST fishing occurs daily in the waters of Sabah, endangering both fishermen and marine life, said Sabah officials.

The lack of enforcement in the waters has allowed the rampant use of fish bombs for illegal fishing, said fishermen’s groups, following the deaths of two tourists on a scuba dive.

Although outlawed, fishing with bombs is remains a popular practice as the yield is up to seven times that of conventional method.

Explosives, usually homemade, causes shock waves that kill or stun the fish and cause them to float to the surface. The fishermen then easily scoop them up with nets.

Fish bombs keep costs and prices low even as the catch gets bigger – at least in the short term. 

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) together with other relevant agencies will be intensifying operations to combat fish bombing  in Sabah waters. – July 14, 2019.