Togean islands biota in danger

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Locals from the Togean Islands have renewed their calls on the government to stop environmental destruction caused by the use of fishing explosives.

A local, Mahmud, told Antara that unless the government declared the islands a national park, the marine biota population would be vulnerable to extinction.

"Local fishermen find it difficult to catch fish in the waters because many of the coral reefs have been destroyed by potassium cyanide," Mahmud said.

A joint patrol by the police, provincial administration authorities and fishery office representatives has been conducted in the past few months due to wide-spread fish bombing in the waters.

In an operation held on Saturday, police arrested two people for fish bombing in the waters of Lokotai Island.

Dozens of fishermen have recently been apprehended for catching fish using explosives. The court sentenced them to between four to six months in jail.