Overfishing has been identified as the main cause of declining coastal fishery resources in Sabah.

Others included the use of sophisticated and illegal equipment like poison bombs by irresponsible fishermen, Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin said today.

According to a study by the Fisheries Department, fish resources have dwindled from 2.56 tonnes per sqkm in 1971 to 0.21 tonnes in 2007.

“In Sabah, sea fish landings in 1999 totaled 207,213 tonnes but decreased to 174,579 in 2010.

“These incidents have adversely affected the catch and income of coastal and traditional fishermen all of whom are bumiputera,” he said at the ceremony marking the commencement of work to deploy artificial fish refuges in Petagas and Lok Kawi Putatan waters at Kg Muhibbah near Kota Kinabalu today.

Yahya, who is state Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said the Sabah Fisheries Department would continue to protect and rehabilitate the fish habitat particularly in coastal areas.

The artificial fish habitat project was one of the strategies used to restore declining coastal fishery resources, he said.

“The Sabah Fisheries Department is intensifying efforts to build more artificial reefs and place them in suitable coastal areas,” he said.

Since 2009, the Fisheries Department has deployed artificial reefs in 13 districts namely     Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Papar, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kudat, Pitas, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau, involving total allocations of RM4.026 million from the state and federal governments.

- Bernama