Sabah’s Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Junz Wong is putting the kibosh on all of your lobster thermidor fantasies, and told media he will be restricting the “indiscriminate catching” of the crustaceans off of the state’s Borneo waters.
Speaking to Free Malaysia Today, he told reporters that while the state has been investing in lobster farms, unscrupulous fishermen are still out there catching the wild variety, even hauling in tiny spawn that are of little value for the consumer. Even wild crab populations are on the wane due to over-fishing.
Hoping to protect the future of both species, Wong has said that current policy will be reviewed, and a “proper mechanism to protect” them will be put in place, which could include the prosecution of those who illicitly fish. Also under review will be the sale of the crustaceans to local restaurants, and the amount that goes out for export.
“Only lobsters above 500g can be sold or exported,” he said. “I believe this restriction will go a long way in ensuring a continuous supply of lobsters in the state.”
Sabah has long been suffering under the unethical fishing practices by fishermen looking to make a quick buck: Two years ago, the Wong’s predecessor, Yahya Hussin issued an all-out ban of any exported fresh seafood, allowing only registered, frozen varieties to leave the state.
Many of the state’s most vulnerable coastal areas run near the border with Indonesia, a vast and nebulous area that authorities have a difficult time monitoring. Wong has regularly taken the over-fishing cause to task, targeting illicit Vietnamese trawlers just last year, for infringing on local waters.
Local NGOs and organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund have also expressed their concern for Sabah’s South China Sea waters, a zone they call “the most depleted” ocean area in the world, and welcome increasing restrictions aimed to preserve wildlife.
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