Minister still waiting for probe outcome
Published on: Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin expects to receive the investigation reports on the illegal fishing allegedly carried out by Vietnamese fishermen on a Sabah registered vessel this week. He said there had been nothing forthcoming from the Fisheries Department on the case but indicated they are looking at every angle in the ongoing investigation. "We are looking at whether foreigners have entered territorial waters, whether local/s collaborated with them, and whether the vessels were used wrongly.
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"If so, action will be taken. I have asked the department to investigate and it has not come back to us. Maybe this week, only then I can give an answer," he told reporters here on Monday. Yahya was met after officiating at the prize giving ceremony of an annual art event here. On Aug 21, the Fisheries Department opened an investigation paper over complaints made by the Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boats Owner Association over eight boats carrying out illegal fishing around 44 nautical miles near Pulau Mengalum earlier the same month.
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The association president's Simon Hong alleged although the boats were registered locally, the design and the physical features of the vessel were Vietnamese, along with the crew. He also alleged fishing methods used by these fishermen were also illegal, saying it looked like they were using the longline fishing technique.
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