Kota Kinabalu: A man and his son were jailed and fined by the Sessions Court here for having bombed fish.
Jeksin Eming, 36, and Jepin Jeksin, 20, pleaded guilty before Judge Elsie Primus to having various types of fish caught using explosives on board a traditional boat 0.1 nautical miles Southwest of Sepanggar Island on Jan 10.
Jeksin, who was the captain, was jailed a year while Jepin was fined RM5,000 or six months jail.
The duo were jointly charged under Section 26(1)(c) of the Fisheries Act 1985 which provides for a fine of RM20,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both, on conviction.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen Atim told the court that Maritime enforcement team conducting Special Ops stopped a suspicious traditional fishing boat.
Inspection found there were two people, both with valid identification documents, 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.
The duo, who were not represented, requested a lenient sentence.
Jeksin added that he has children who are still schooling and claimed that the fish was caught for their own consumption.
DPP Nurun applied for a heavy and deterrent sentence due to the seriousness of the offence the rampancy of such offence in Sabah waters.
“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,” she said.
DPP Nurun also informed the court that Jeksin has one conviction record for similar offence in which he was fined RM12,000 or 12 months jail.
