Cyanide fishing seen as threat

Cyanide fishing seen as threat

MANILA (DPA): Environmental officials said yesterday that
cyanide and dynamite fishing are threatening marine life in
southern Philippine and Malaysian islands, but they are puzzled
over the origin of the fishermen using the illegal practices.

The bureau for protected areas and wildlife of the
Philippines, under the environment and natural resources
department, warned the methods constitute a major threat to the
Turtle Islands, six of which fall within Philippine territorial
boundaries with the other three in eastern Malaysia.

"We need to have more military patrols in the area," said
Rhodora de Veyra, a biologist, noting corals in a "protected
area" are quickly diminishing.

The fishermen are after schools of tuna, shark and grouper
that abound in the waters 1,000 kilometers southwest of Manila
and 40 kilometers north of Sabah, Malaysia in the Sulu Sea.