Togean islands biota in danger

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.