Divers release dozens of rare fish caught illegally in underwater cage
This is the heartwarming moment a team of volunteer divers rescued hundreds of rare fish that had been caught illegally.<br /><br />The beautifully-coloured parrot fish, bannerfish and marine angelfish were trapped in the iron underwater cage dropped into the Gulf of Thailand.<br /><br />Divers from the Mu Ko Lanta National Park in Krabi province found the device when they were patrolling the area on August 27.<br /><br />Each were protected species that trawlers are forced to throw them back into the ocean.<br /><br />The national park director Weerasak Srisatjang said: "The team were shocked when they saw the large cage under the sea. The immediately released all of the fish.<br /><br />"There were around one hundred of them in the cage. It is illegal to do this. We need to guard the waters more strictly."<br /><br />He said the officials are now investigating who built the cruel underwater fish jail in the area.<br /><br />The team believed that the fish were caught to be sold out in the market illegally. They spent five minutes cutting through the bars to released the fish. <br /><br />The divers also found a huge fishing net stuck under the water. They believe the net was used by the smugglers who built the cage.<br /><br />Meanwhile, a resident from a nearby village confessed that customers would often wait for the fish to be dragged ashore then sell them on the black market.<br /><br />Those who are caught smuggling endangered fish species in Thailand can be imprisoned for up to five years and fined of up to 200,000 Baht (4,800 GBP).
