November 17, 2007
Fisheries Dept Seizes One Tonne Stolen Corals
Officer of the Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department shows the seized pieces of coral illegally removed by poachers from the waters off Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson. Two men managed to escape into the nearby mangrove swamp, leaving the boat and the loot after realising the presence of enforcement officers. Pix: Hamzah Md Som
SEREMBAN, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan/Melaka Fisheries Department seized 150 pieces of coral weighing one tonne which were illegally removed by poachers from the waters off Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson recently.
Its director Mohd Sufian Sulaiman said the corals were illegally collected by two men and believed to be for sale as decorative pieces.
He said in the 1.30pm incident on Wednesday following a tip-off from local residents, the department's enforcement officers also seized a boat filled with the corals of the hard and large species.
"However, the two men managed to escape into the nearby mangrove swamp, leaving the boat and the loot after realising the presence of the officers.
"Based on the market price, the corals are worth about RM7,500 as they are usually sold at RM50 per piece, and if sold through middlemen, they fetch about RM20 each," he told reporters here.
The case is being investigated under Sections 31 and 49 of the Fisheries Act 1985 which carries a fine of up to RM20,000 or two years' jail or both.
Mohd Sufian warned the public not to take away corals in the Tanjung Tuan waters as the government had gazetted it as a protected area, including against fishing activities, in November 1998.
He said the irresponsible action by encroachers and poachers could destroy the area's ecosystem including its fish breeding grounds.
He added that the department would intensify surveillance of the area.
He urged the public to provide information on any illegal fishing or poaching activity in the area to call his department at 06-6752160 or the Port Dickson Fisheries Office at 06-6472050.
-- BERNAMA
Fisheries Dept Seizes One Tonne Stolen Corals
Officer of the Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department shows the seized pieces of coral illegally removed by poachers from the waters off Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson. Two men managed to escape into the nearby mangrove swamp, leaving the boat and the loot after realising the presence of enforcement officers. Pix: Hamzah Md Som
SEREMBAN, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan/Melaka Fisheries Department seized 150 pieces of coral weighing one tonne which were illegally removed by poachers from the waters off Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson recently.
Its director Mohd Sufian Sulaiman said the corals were illegally collected by two men and believed to be for sale as decorative pieces.
He said in the 1.30pm incident on Wednesday following a tip-off from local residents, the department's enforcement officers also seized a boat filled with the corals of the hard and large species.
"However, the two men managed to escape into the nearby mangrove swamp, leaving the boat and the loot after realising the presence of the officers.
"Based on the market price, the corals are worth about RM7,500 as they are usually sold at RM50 per piece, and if sold through middlemen, they fetch about RM20 each," he told reporters here.
The case is being investigated under Sections 31 and 49 of the Fisheries Act 1985 which carries a fine of up to RM20,000 or two years' jail or both.
Mohd Sufian warned the public not to take away corals in the Tanjung Tuan waters as the government had gazetted it as a protected area, including against fishing activities, in November 1998.
He said the irresponsible action by encroachers and poachers could destroy the area's ecosystem including its fish breeding grounds.
He added that the department would intensify surveillance of the area.
He urged the public to provide information on any illegal fishing or poaching activity in the area to call his department at 06-6752160 or the Port Dickson Fisheries Office at 06-6472050.
-- BERNAMA
