News

Illegal use of Scuba gear for fishing on the rise

September 30, 2020 12:00 pm

The illegal use of Scuba equipment for fishing has surfaced in a few coastal areas with cases now before the court.

The illegal use of Scuba equipment for fishing has surfaced in a few coastal areas with cases now before the court.

Minister for Fisheries, Semi Koroilavesau says the issue was recently raised with them particularly by those living in the Yasawa Islands.

Koroilavesau says they have confiscated some scuba gear upon inspection.

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“Most of our communities do not use Scuba equipment so those who are fishing legally have been complaining that they have been disadvantaged by people using Scuba. Because they dive deeper and for a longer period of time with the use of spearguns. They have been denied the amount of fish they used to catch in normal times.”

He says majority of the equipment seized were used for harvesting beach-der-mer during the ban period.

“I just received calls yesterday asking me if we could release the Scuba gears. I basically said that’s out of our hands. It’s under prosecution so the Ministry of Fisheries doesn’t have any more jurisdiction on the equipment that have been taken over.”

The Minister says heavy penalties are in place for such practices and it will be issued by the court.