| Reef Guardian Sdn. Bhd |
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| Illegal & Deadly Gill Net in SIMCA |
Copyright of Reef Guardian Sdn Bhd. 2008 & 2009
On the night of 14 November 2009, a fishing
vessel encroached into SIMCA waters to fish with
a 7 km long bottom gill net (pukat tenggelam).
This locally registered vessel was crewed by 9
Vietnamese nationals and intentionally targeted the
rich and abundant marine life in the SIMCA. This
vessel had previously been caught fishing within
SIMCA and warned by enforcement officers; this
time, the vessel was detained. When enforcement
officers boarded the boat, they found the carcasses
of butchered sharks and rays in the process of
being dried. Reef Guardian & Lankayan Island
Dive Resort staff retrieved about 3.5 km of the
gill net revealed the night’s deadly catch - 5 adult
turtles, 10 sharks, including guitar, leopard, and
black-tip sharks (some of them close to 2 metres
long), numerous rays, and big fish such as trevallies
and tuna. To make matters worse, 4 out of the 5
turtles were female, and one female leopard shark
was bearing eggs.
vessel encroached into SIMCA waters to fish with
a 7 km long bottom gill net (pukat tenggelam).
This locally registered vessel was crewed by 9
Vietnamese nationals and intentionally targeted the
rich and abundant marine life in the SIMCA. This
vessel had previously been caught fishing within
SIMCA and warned by enforcement officers; this
time, the vessel was detained. When enforcement
officers boarded the boat, they found the carcasses
of butchered sharks and rays in the process of
being dried. Reef Guardian & Lankayan Island
Dive Resort staff retrieved about 3.5 km of the
gill net revealed the night’s deadly catch - 5 adult
turtles, 10 sharks, including guitar, leopard, and
black-tip sharks (some of them close to 2 metres
long), numerous rays, and big fish such as trevallies
and tuna. To make matters worse, 4 out of the 5
turtles were female, and one female leopard shark
was bearing eggs.
Most of these marine animals were already dead or starting
to decompose. Fortunately, 6 turtles, 4 leopard sharks, 2
guitar sharks, and several rays were found still alive in the
net, and were released.
Indiscriminate killings like this threaten entire populations of
marine species. Adding to the gravity of the situation is the
fact that globally endangered animals, such as marine turtles,
are frequently trapped and killed in these nets. These nets
impose death by creating a wall, anchored to the bottom by
a weight and stretching across the sea floor, into which
marine animals swim and subsequently get ensnared. Turtles
trapped this way suffocate to death as they are unable to
return to the water surface to breathe. The fishing net in
particular targeted large marine life, with a mesh size of 6
inches open diagonal. The catch was no doubt aimed for the
international market for luxury marine products- shark’s fin,
leopard shark skins, and turtle shells.
to decompose. Fortunately, 6 turtles, 4 leopard sharks, 2
guitar sharks, and several rays were found still alive in the
net, and were released.
Indiscriminate killings like this threaten entire populations of
marine species. Adding to the gravity of the situation is the
fact that globally endangered animals, such as marine turtles,
are frequently trapped and killed in these nets. These nets
impose death by creating a wall, anchored to the bottom by
a weight and stretching across the sea floor, into which
marine animals swim and subsequently get ensnared. Turtles
trapped this way suffocate to death as they are unable to
return to the water surface to breathe. The fishing net in
particular targeted large marine life, with a mesh size of 6
inches open diagonal. The catch was no doubt aimed for the
international market for luxury marine products- shark’s fin,
leopard shark skins, and turtle shells.
Fishing operations like these are undermining Sabah’s efforts
to protect marine biodiversity, and are depleting our marine
life not for supplying food to the local population, but for
pure financial gain to individuals. The repercussions are
serious and wide ranging. The loss of top predators such as
sharks will have negative cascading effects on the entire
marine ecosystem. Sabah is a diving hotspot in Southeast
Asia, and the loss of marine megafauna will cause the demise
of this industry. Eventually, local small-scale fishermen will be
hit hard by the depleted sea as well.
Commercially operated bottom gill nets are a common
fishing gear used throughout Sabah. If one vessel can inflict
such drastic damage in one night, one can only imagine the
magnitude of destruction that is silently occurring in Sabah’s
waters. Government agencies responsible for protecting the
marine environment, such as the Sabah Fisheries
Department, should take immediate steps to stop this type of
destruction before Sabah suffers an irreversible loss of
marine life.
to protect marine biodiversity, and are depleting our marine
life not for supplying food to the local population, but for
pure financial gain to individuals. The repercussions are
serious and wide ranging. The loss of top predators such as
sharks will have negative cascading effects on the entire
marine ecosystem. Sabah is a diving hotspot in Southeast
Asia, and the loss of marine megafauna will cause the demise
of this industry. Eventually, local small-scale fishermen will be
hit hard by the depleted sea as well.
Commercially operated bottom gill nets are a common
fishing gear used throughout Sabah. If one vessel can inflict
such drastic damage in one night, one can only imagine the
magnitude of destruction that is silently occurring in Sabah’s
waters. Government agencies responsible for protecting the
marine environment, such as the Sabah Fisheries
Department, should take immediate steps to stop this type of
destruction before Sabah suffers an irreversible loss of
marine life.
| Illegal fishing boat SBF-19 |
| Sharks, rays turtles that entangled in the fishing net |
| Leopard shark rescued and released |
| Grey reef shark - too late to rescued |
| Dead Hawksbill turtle |
Text by Louise & Lydia Teh
Pictures taken from the fishing boat - SBF-19
