This is terrible! 

On Saturday (20 February), the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCSM) took to social media to call out irresponsible individuals who poisoned the Kemaman River for a quick buck. 

Pastu kami pun hubungi Pejabat Perikanan Kemaman @dofmalaysia. Pegawai Perikanan memaklumkan bahawa mereka telah Memandangkan laporan ini kepada pihak bertanggungjawab.

— Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (@TCSMsia) February 20, 2021

“Last week, we found that there are irresponsible individuals that have been using fish poison at Sungai Kemaman.

“How do we know? The evidence is clear in the number of shrimps that are making their way to shore. It’s very weird when healthy crustaceans such as these shrimps suddenly come out of water,” they said in their caption.

Following the incident, the TCSM then reported the case to the Kemaman Fisheries Department where they sent over a few officers to monitor the situation.

Perbuatan menuba udang galah ini merupakan perbuatan yang sangat tidak bertanggungjawab. Racun yang diletakkan di dalam sungai bukan sahaja memberi kesan negatif kepada ikan dan udang (sumber makanan), tetapi juga kepada fisiologi tuntung (sakit mata). pic.twitter.com/g08L43n4K2

— Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (@TCSMsia) February 20, 2021

They added: “Shrimping can earn you around RM80-RM120 per kilogram of prawns without even having to spend an hour at the river, and this is very irresponsible!

“The act of poisoning crustaceans will not only affect the shrimps, but also the fish.

We hope that the authorities will look into this matter and find those who are responsible for poisoning the river! 

By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat