Combating fish bombing in Sabah through multi-stakeholder effort

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 10): The Department of Fisheries Sabah (DoFS) led the Anti Fish Bombing (AFB) Programme on Wednesday, bringing together government agencies, civil society, and community representatives to strengthen efforts against fish bombing.

WWF-Malaysia supported the programme as part of its ongoing collaboration with DoFS to protect Sabah’s marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.

The programme brought together representatives from government agencies, civil society, academia and grassroots communities. Key participants included ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Sabah and agencies under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, alongside enforcement bodies like the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Eastern Sabah Security Command.

Civil society and academic partners included WWF-Malaysia, Stop Fish Bombing Malaysia, Reef Check Malaysia, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Representatives from the coastal communities of Kudat and Semporna also took part in the discussions.

The programme served as a platform to share insights, align ongoing initiatives, inspire solutions and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to combat fish bombing, also known as blast or dynamite fishing. This illegal and highly destructive practice continues to endanger lives, undermine the livelihoods of coastal communities, and threaten Sabah’s marine biodiversity.

Fish bombing devastates coral reefs, instantly destroying the reef structure and killing marine life within the blast zone. The damage is not only immediate but also long-term, as coral reefs can take decades to grow and recover. This destruction leads to the loss of critical habitats for marine species, resulting in reduced biodiversity and declining fish stocks. The urgency of this issue gained national attention in 2019 when two tourists were killed in a blast near Semporna. More recently, dive operators reported frequent explosions near popular Semporna sites, raising safety concerns.

The programme highlighted plans to strengthen enforcement protocols, expand community-based surveillance, and integrate emerging technologies into Sabah’s response framework. These efforts aim to protect marine ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for coastal communities.

WWF-Malaysia presented findings from the Solutions for Marine and Coastal Resilience in the Coral Triangle initiative on how acoustic detection systems and real-time sensors are helping enforcement teams respond more effectively. These tools, combined with strong community involvement, are driving a more strategic and science-based approach to reef protection.

From August 2021 to March 2022, monitoring in Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) showed a 47.1% reduction in fish bombing activity compared to baseline data collected between October 2019 and March 2020. Notably, at least seven out of ten monitoring sites recorded a dramatic decline ranging from 70.7% to 98.7%, indicating that targeted enforcement and community-led surveillance efforts are making a measurable impact.

In Semporna, new real-time blast detectors were deployed at Mabul Island in early 2022, enabling hotspot identification and supporting enforcement efforts. These innovations reflect the growing role of local communities and science-based tools in marine conservation, with acoustic monitoring now guiding enforcement and community patrols.

“The fight against fish bombing requires collaboration, innovation and sustained community engagement,” said Chitra Devi Gopalakrishnan, Head of Marine of WWF-Malaysia. “With real-time acoustic detection systems and hydrophones pinpointing blast locations, enforcement teams can respond faster and more effectively. Combined with community patrols and the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) technology, we’re creating a smarter, more responsive model for reef protection.

“We are committed to supporting DoFS and all partners in this shared mission.” Chitra added.

The programme concluded with a compilation of information, challenges, and a way forward from among the participants, outlining a shared commitment to enhance enforcement, expand education and awareness efforts, and explore sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by fish bombing. This outcome reflects a renewed and collective determination to safeguard Sabah’s marine heritage for future generations.