KOTA KINABALU: Divers and fishermen in Kota Belud want Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to come clean on its research project at the popular wreck diving sites in Usukan waters, which they claim has affected their activities in the area.
The varsity's underwater exploration research on the WWII Japanese shipwrecks, highlighted yesterday also prompted pleas from Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun for UMS to suspend its research work immediately.
The issue came to light after a group of local fishermen were chased out by crewmembers of two vessel two weeks ago.
Deli Lasun, 49, from Kampung Kuala Abai in Kota Belud, recalled the Jan 11 incident.
He said: "We were in two boats. We went fishing at the wreck sites in Usukan at about 5am. An hour later, two big vessels came to the area.
"The crew spoke in a foreign language and signalled us to pull out our fishing nets and leave the area.
"We were puzzled but couldn't do anything. I don't understand what they were saying but I knew they wanted us out of the area," he said when contacted.
Fearing the vessels could be encroaching the area, Deli lodged a report at the Kota Belud police headquarters the next day.
He later found out that the vessels were carrying salvage work within the shipwreck areas. It was not there a day earlier.
Deli also brought the matter up to his brother Nasar, who is the village chief.
Nasar expressed concern that villagers were unable to fish near the shipwrecks following foreign vessels' presence.
"We didn't know anything about the project. We have been using the area as our fishing ground for years. No one briefed us about the activity (salvage work)."
Yesterday, UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah said that the varsity's archeological team has identified a cargo vessel carrying toxic materials weighing 3,000 tonnes in the waters.
He said chemical study on the iron and steel of the vessels and its surrounding area must be carried out to prevent negative impact on the environment and the community.
He said the team also found out that the wreck site is almost destroyed and expected to vanish completely in the next 10 years.
The varsity's research project was funded by a local company that has expertise in marine management, explained Mohd Harun.
Meanwhile, Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures managing director Richard Swann said toxic cargo justification appeared dubious as there was no evidence presented to support the claim.
He said marine life at the Usukan site has never shown any signs of being intoxicated.
"If the government honestly felt there was a risk to marine or human life, they would have taken a more delicate approach in the removal and people should have been notified.
"Truth is none of us really know anything other than a salvage ship turning up and started to crane out the wreck. So with no information, we can only speculate." he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Harun when contacted said the varsity would issue a detailed explanation on its research project.
He noted that the archeological team had gone to the research field in the morning to monitor the situation after the varsity suspended its salvage operation yesterday.
Meanwhile, Sabah Marine director Abdul Nasar Abdul Hadi has given his assurance that the department will ensure no exploration work be carried out outside the permitted coordinates.
On materials salvaged prior to the suspension, he said the items were under the control of UMS.