KOTA KINABALU: The sharks and sting rays sold at a market in Sabah are not endangered species of marine life.
Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said checks were done at the market in Semporna today, and officers found no violations under the Fisheries Act 1985.
"The initial research by the Sabah Fisheries Department on the news and the published images has identified the species as the Bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum), and this species is not listed as endangered.
"As for the horned ray species, it has been confirmed it is not from the Mobula birostris or Mobula alfredi species, both of which are listed as endangered under the Fisheries Act 1985," he said in a statement today.
He was responding to local news outlets and a viral Facebook post about the issue.
The Sabah diving community had yesterday called for solutions to address the selling of marine species including those which they claimed were endangered species sold at Semporna Fish Market.
(https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/08/939573/more-protection-needed...)
They had expressed concerns with the viral photos of several marine species listed as endangered under International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, when met at the State Legislative Assembly, said she was waiting for full details of the case.
Sharks contribute significantly to the estimated RM800 million revenue that dive tourism brings to Sabah.
