Sabah's coral reefs gain from war against fish bombers

KOTA KINBALU - A massive crackdown against fish-bombing in waters around the state has paid off with a drastic reduction of such activities, Chief Minister Datuk Chong Kah Kiat said yesterday, The Star reported. The drop in the incidence of fish-bombing would go a long way towards conserving Sabah's coral reefs, he said when launching an adopt-a-coral project at Pulau Gaya near here. Chong's remarks came nearly a week after Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal said fish-bombing along the state's east coast had dropped by about 70% over the past several months. Yesterday, Chong said other illegal activities were putting a stress on coral reefs and these included breaking chunks of them to be sold. As such, people should avoid buying any handicraft made from corals or other marine organisms, he said. "Everyone must play their part in conserving the environment and this includes resisting the collection of souvenirs from nature and avoiding unnecessary disturbances to the natural environment," said Chong, who is also state Tourism, Environment, Science and Technology Minister.

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