KOTA KINABALU, March 6 — Five men have been arrested to facilitate investigations into allegations of violating the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
The arrests were made in Paitan on March 6 by an integrated enforcement team made up of the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the Sabah Forestry Department’s (SFD) PROTECT team.
In a statement yesterday, the state Wildlife Department said that the men were alleged to have hunted and killed more than what was stipulated in their hunting permit.
The men, aged between 50 and 55 years old, were arrested at a roadblock in Paitan mounted by the enforcement team after a check on the four-wheel drive vehicle they were in revealed two animal carcasses believed to be deers.
The carcasses were confiscated together with hunting paraphernalia found in the vehicle, the statement said, adding SWD will be investigating the case under Section 25 sub-section 2(b) which is hunting in excess of the quota stated in the permit issued.
If found guilty, the accused can be fined a minimum of RM50,000 to a maximum of RM100,000 or jailed not less than six months or not more than five years, or both.
SWD director Augustine Tuuga advised the public not to carry out hunting activities without a valid hunting licence issued by the Sabah Wildlife Department while those who have been issued a licence are to abide by the conditions stated in the licence such as the hunting validity period, the hunting area and the number of animals permitted to be hunted.
The strategic cooperation between PROTECT team and SWD will be continued to combat illegal hunting activities and wildlife exploitation, especially in forest reserves.
It is hoped that with such efforts, wildlife in Sabah can always be protected. — Borneo Post Online
