TEMPO.CO, Berau - Shark hunting and smuggling activities are currently trending in Berau District, East Kalimantan. The sharks are usually caught around the vicinity of Derawan Island which will be sold in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, and then sold overseas. The sharks that are hunted are usually still in their infancies.

The Class II Fish Quarantine Station in Juwata, Tarakan City, has recently foiled the smuggling of 70 illegally caught sharks that were destined for Malaysia. The species that were successfully secured include the zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum), leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), and coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus).

Berau Deputy Regent Agus Tantomo requested that the confiscated sharks be released back into their habitats. “It’s yet to be done considering [we] haven’t obtained a permit from the quarantine agency,” he said on Monday, March 13, 2017.

In order to prevent the rampant illegal hunting, Berau Regional Government issued a policy prohibiting any fishing and trading for sharks living in the waters of Berau which has taken effect since February 2017. “I expect the support from every individual,” Agus stated.

Malaysia’s intentions in obtaining the sharks from the waters of Kalimantan is seen by Agus as an attempt to steal tourism assets in the waters of Derawan and Maratua Islands in Berau. “It would be incredibly stupid if we let that happen,” Agus firmly said.

Until August 2016, more than 200 sharks were illegally fished out of the Berau waters. The latest is the attempt to steal 70 sharks that was foiled by Tarakan’s quarantine agency. “We hope there [will be] firm consequences,” Agus said before added that he and his team would check directly to Tarakan if there is no response.

The waters of Berau is one of East Kalimantan’s marine tourism areas, which include the waters of Derawan, Sangalaki, Maratua, and Kakaban.

FIRMAN HIDAYAT | SAPRI MAULANA