More arrests regarding Sabah fishing violations
Published on: Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Fishermen have again been caught violating the terms stated on the licence issued to them, this time involving a local fishing boat some 1.66 nautical miles off Kudat shores on Monday. They were caught by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on "Ops Pluto Timur" duty off Kudat waters. The team was patrolling the area when they were alerted of fishing activity less than three nautical miles from the shore at about 10pm.
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Prompted by this information, they went to the site where they found that there was indeed fishing activity in the area at about 10.30pm. The Indonesian skipper and his two Malaysian crew, aged between 17 and 36, were detained and brought together with their fishing boat to the Kudat public jetty for further inspections. They were subsequently handed over to the Kudat Maritime Investigation Unit for further investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985. Kudat Operations Officer Lt. Rody Bejir again reminded fishermen to abide by the rules and regulations stated on their licences.
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He also reminded boat operators not to put profit above the law and urged those with information on such activities or in need of help while at sea to contact MERS 999 for assistance. It was reported in September that a local fishing was also caught by the MMEA operating near the coastal area off Tanjung Indai in Tuaran.
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The team patrolling the area detected the boat pulling up its nets in the dark less than three nautical miles from coast. Five of its crew aged between 22 and 50, four of them Indonesians with valid travel documents were brought in for further investigations under the Fisheries Act 1985. Several cases were reported in August, with one involving a catch of 30 kg of shrimps and a trawler boat which was confiscated by the marine police for fishing at a prohibited area in Sungai Kalabakan in Tawau. The 36-year-old Indonesian skipper was detained after he was found fishing less than five nautical miles from the coastal area.On Aug 17, a total of six Vietnamese fishermen were also arrested after they were found fishing without valid documents by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Kudat. Various species of fish, including tuna, were found in the boat which was spotted some 52 nautical miles off Simpang Mengayau. On Aug 31, three Indonesian fishermen were detained by the MMEA off the Kudat waters after they too were found to have violated the terms and conditions stated on their licence. The trio, aged between 21 and 49, were fishing some 2.3 nautical miles from the coastal area when it is clearly stated on their licence that they are only allowed to fish in areas more than three nautical miles from shore.It was reported that encroachment by fishing boats into the gazetted 500-metre safety radius within the Petronas' offshore oil platforms in the country has reached alarming levels, especially in the State.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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