Dead fish floating in Kinta River were dumped, says state govt
The state environment committee chairman Teh Kok Lim said that investigations carried out by the Fisheries Department in collaboration with the Environment Department (JAS) confirmed that the river's water quality remained good and the fish were likely not river-bred.
'The dead fish were not native to the river. They were identified as black tilapia and are believed to have been discarded into the river.
'So far, we have not been able to identify who is responsible for this irresponsible act," he told reporters after officiating the Foreign Fish Hunting Grand Prix Programme on Saturday (July 12).
Also present was Perak Fisheries Department director Mohd Ghazali A. Manap.
'I urge all parties, especially fish breeders, to dispose of dead fish properly by burying them instead of dumping them into rivers. It is a shared responsibility,' said Teh.
Teh reminded the fish breeders not to treat the river as a dumping ground, warning that discarded waste, especially dead fish, could have serious consequences.
'What is thrown into the river can affect all levels of society, particularly those living downstream.
"There is a risk of disease spreading and harming native fish species as well. That is why we acted quickly to remove the dead fish,' he said.
Recently, a video of dead fish floating in the Kinta River has been circulating on social media.
On a separate matter, Ghazali said the Perak Fisheries (River) Regulations 1992 and the Fisheries (Inland Fisheries Aquaculture) Regulations are currently in the final drafting stage for proposed amendments.
'It is now in the final review process and will be submitted for approval by the state executive council," he said.
He added that among the proposed amendments are the establishment of sanctuaries for kelah and arowana fish species and the licensing of fishing vessels and fishermen.
'This matter will be tabled depending on the review by the State Legal Adviser's Office,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
3 banks fined more than RM7mil for regulatory breaches
Bank Negara Malaysia said the penalties were determined after considering the severity of the breaches, past compliance records, and effectiveness of remedial actions. PETALING JAYA : Bank Negara Malaysia has imposed more than RM7 million in administrative monetary penalties on three banks for non-compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly relating to system downtime and sanctions screening failures. Bank Islam received two separate penalties totalling RM3,445,000, Bank Rakyat was fined RM2,850,000, and Bank Simpanan Nasional was handed a RM995,000 penalty, said BNM in separate statements today. The central bank said the penalties stem from breaches of the Development Financial Institutions Act 2002, the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, as well as requirements under its policies on risk management in technology, anti-money laundering, financial sanctions, and countering financing of terrorism. Bank Islam's first penalty, amounting to RM1,745,000, was for prolonged service disruptions between June 2023 and December 2024. BNM said the bank was found to have delayed system recovery, which affected its digital banking services. It has since begun upgrading its IT systems and recovery plans to prevent future incidents. The second penalty against Bank Islam, amounting to RM1,700,000, was for failures in sanctions screening compliance under regulations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism. These failures included delays in screening non-customer beneficial owners and the bank's entire customer database, resulting in late identification of matches with specified entities. Bank Islam also failed to report its findings in a timely manner. BNM said the bank's lapses were attributed to weak internal processes, inadequate training, and ineffective oversight. It said Bank Islam has since enhanced its sanctions screening systems and procedures. Bank Rakyat was fined RM2,850,000 for failing to meet BNM's requirements for system availability, resulting in multiple service disruptions between June 2023 and December 2024. These outages affected critical banking services such as e-banking, ATMs, and card systems. The disruptions exceeded allowable downtime thresholds due to inadequate response and recovery measures. BNM said Bank Rakyat has since strengthened its IT infrastructure and recovery capabilities. It said financial institutions must ensure that their critical systems are designed for a cumulative unplanned downtime that affects user interface of not more than four hours on a rolling 12-month basis, and a maximum downtime of 120 minutes per incident. BSN was fined RM995,000 for similar failures in meeting downtime requirements. It experienced multiple unplanned outages between June 2023 and October 2024 that disrupted services, including ATMs, e-banking, and card transactions. BNM said the disruptions breached the allowed downtime thresholds because of weak recovery protocols, though BSN has since upgraded its technology infrastructure It said all financial institutions must maintain strong technology resilience to ensure uninterrupted access to essential financial services, adding that non-compliance will result in enforcement action regardless of past performance. The central bank also said the penalties were determined after considering the severity of the breaches, past compliance records, and effectiveness of remedial actions. All three institutions have paid their fines.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Dewan Rakyat passes Fisheries Bill amendment to curb illegal fishing
KUALA LUMPUR: The Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2025, aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the intrusion of foreign vessels, was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today. In his winding-up speech, Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the Bill had undergone an inclusive and holistic review process and had been carefully refined. "It not only addresses domestic needs but also aligns Malaysia with international standards, including the requirements of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the recommendations of the European Commission, positioning the country as one that takes a firm stance against such fishing activity. "This Bill is not merely a legal amendment, but a reform initiative to enhance the governance of the national fisheries sector, ensure resource sustainability, and protect the rights of fishermen, including small communities in rural and island areas," he said. A total of 29 Members of Parliament took part in the debate on the Bill. Touching on the leakage of national resources and losses due to encroachment by foreign fishermen between 2020 and 2024, Arthur said the estimated losses amounted to around RM823 million. These included lost commercial fish catches, the destruction of marine habitats, and pressure on local fishery resources. "This is also related to the intrusion of foreign fishermen into Malaysian waters. The Fisheries Act 1985 already provides authority under subsection 15(1) to act against such intrusions. In 2019, amendments were introduced to raise the maximum fine from RM1 million to RM6 million for vessel skippers, and from RM100,000 to RM600,000 for crew members. "Section 52 also provides for the forfeiture of vessels upon conviction in court. From 2020 to 2024, a total of 515 foreign vessel intrusion cases were recorded, of which 367 involved vessels from Vietnam," he said. He added that Section 25 has been amended to increase the general penalty from RM20,000 to RM100,000. Section 26 raises the maximum fine for fishing offences involving explosives, poisons, or similar substances from RM20,000 to RM250,000, along with imprisonment of up to five years. He said the Bill also addresses ongoing encroachments into restricted fishing zones by trawlers where Subsection 13(3) empowers the Director-General to suspend, revoke, or reject renewal applications of licences belonging to individuals who commit offences in coastal zones. Penalties under this subsection include licence suspension of up to one year, compound fines, and the confiscation of equipment. "Furthermore, subsection 13(3a) allows the Director-General to bar individuals whose licences have been revoked from reapplying for up to five years. This serves as a preventive and deterrent measure to protect national fishery resources and is considered a severe penalty to curb repeat offences," he said. The Bill also introduces amendments to Section 31, aiming to strengthen the compounding mechanism in a way that is fairer to small-scale fishermen. "The minimum compound amount has been reduced from RM500 to RM100, and the cap on the number of compoundable offences has been lifted. "Offences such as fishing without a vessel licence under paragraph 8(a) may now be compounded if they involve traditional fishing methods that do not damage resources or cause encroachment. "Compound regulations are detailed under Section 61. These amendments represent a firm yet compassionate enforcement approach where it is strict on serious offences, but considerate towards minor infractions, reflecting the aspirations of the Madani Government," Arthur said. Arthur also noted that the Bill strengthens joint legal and operational coordination through amendments to Sections 46 to 56, which streamline collaboration between the Department of Fisheries (DOF), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the police, and the Royal Malaysian Navy. KW: Passed, fisheries, enforcement, IUU, foreign vessels, penalties, Malaysia, The Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2025
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Man arrested for stealing turtle eggs at Cherating beach
A man has been arrested while two of his accomplices are being hunted by police after being suspected of involvement in stealing turtle eggs at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre in Cherating yesterday. Acting Kuantan district police chief Superintendent Mohd Adli Mat Daud said the 51-year-old suspect was arrested at a house in Cherating around 1pm yesterday, and preliminary urine screening found the man tested positive for drugs. He said police received a report about the incident from the Pahang Fisheries Department around 10am, Sunday (July 27), following a viral video on social media showing three men carrying a turtle at the popular tourist beach. He said investigations found the incident occurred at 7am, the same day, and the three suspects are locals believed to be involved in turtle egg theft activities. 'The viral footage was recorded by a local tourist who came across the three suspects lifting a turtle at the beach. 'The suspects brought the reptile to a hole that had been pre-dug at the beach to speed up the process of the turtle laying eggs. The suspects are believed to have acted in this manner to take the turtle eggs for sale or illegal use,' he said in a statement. Mohd Adli said the identities of the two other suspects being hunted have been identified. 'The arrested suspect will be handed over to the Fisheries Department for further action. 'The case is being investigated under Section 27 of the Fisheries Act 1985, where no one is allowed to fish, disturb, harass, catch or take turtles. If convicted, they can be fined up to RM5,000,' he added. The police action comes after a group of men were recorded lifting a turtle believed to be coming ashore to lay eggs at a beach that went viral on social media, sparking public outrage. Through a two-minute video uploaded on platform X around 11.57pm on Sunday, three men were seen in the sandy area lifting the reptile despite being warned by several other visitors.
