Kota Kinabalu: Five Filipinos were charged with having bombed fish and three of them were fined RM5,000 each.
Sessions Court Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim handed the sentence to Ac Cen Korong, 60, Suhaili Ismail, 39, and Bailing Rolling, 18, after they pleaded guilty to the charge against them.
If they failed to pay the fine, they need to spend three months in prison.
While for the other two, Lelah Korong, 55, and Maldigos Rolling, 18, their case had been postponed pending the availability of a Bajau interpreter.
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They were found having the several types of fish which caught using explosives at 1pm on Sept 6 this year inside a fishermen boat in Pulau Tiga waters area, here.
The offence, under Section 26(1)(c) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25(a) of the same Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a fine of up to RM20,000, or a jail term of up to two years, or both, on conviction.
During mitigation, the trio asked for leniency.
However, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen Atim urged the court to impose a heavy and deterrent sentence due to the seriousness of the offence the rampancy of such offence in Sabah waters.
She submitted that the effect of fish bombing activity is considered as the most destructive form of fishing which will affect the habitat and ecosystem of the sea.
The court heard that the Maritime enforcement team conducting Ops Sejahterah had stopped a suspicious fishing boat.
Inspection found there were five people on the boat with fish caught using explosives.
The fish sample was sent to the Fisheries Department for autopsy which confirmed that it was caught using explosives.
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