Viets using cloned boats: DCM
Published on: Saturday, September 10, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin (pic) has confirmed that no MoU was signed between the State Government and a Vietnamese fishing company – contradicting a claim by the MMEA.He also said that investigations showed that although several suspicious vessels had Malaysian registration numbers, they had been cloned. Therefore, the licences issued to the Malaysian owners would be revoked."I agree with the statement by Fisheries Department Director Dr Ahemad Sade that no such Mou was signed," he said in a statement.ADVERTISEMENT Yahya was commenting on a Daily Express report Friday over sightings of two more foreign vessels trawling local waters for seafood.According to the report, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) had said the presence of the foreign vessels in Malaysian waters was not illegal due to an existing MoU signed between the company and the State Government.Its spokesperson had said although the fishing boats looked Vietnamese and crew and owner were all Vietnamese, they did not break any law because of the MoU. Yahya further said that based on investigation by the State Fisheries Department on the alleged Vietnamese boats bearing registrations numbers MK 2347/1/F, MK 2348/1/F – they were owned by locals and had valid fishing and fishing boat licence.ADVERTISEMENT But he said based on statements taken from the owners, witnesses including boat inspection report by the Sabah Ports and Wharfs Department and the State Fisheries Department, the outcome of investigation revealed that there was basis to the allegations that the boats had been cloned."The licence of the boats MK 2347/1/F and 2348/1/F will be immediately revoked by the Sabah Ports and Wharfs Department while the Fisheries Department will do the same on their fishing licence. There is strong evidence that cloning was done," he said.
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As for another boat bearing registration number MK 1039/1/F which was also alleged as being Vietnamese-owned, he said investigation revealed it had a valid fishing and boat licence plus fishing and fish selling activity record.But he said investigation also revealed the boat licence had been cloned without the boat owner's knowledge."The owner didn't know his boat licence had been cloned. He only came to know about it from the Sabah Ports and Wharfs Department," he said.He said the Fisheries Department will advise the boat owner to lodge a police report. He also said that the Fisheries Department will submit the investigation papers to the Attorney General's Office to determine on how to file for charges.Daily Express had reported about illegal fishing carried out by foreigners in local waters after the Kota Kinabalu Fishing Boat Owner Association had questioned whether foreign fishermen were allowed to compete with local fishermen who were inefficiently equipped. It was also reported that foreign fishermen were illegally fishing in Malaysian waters because of lack in enforcement and Indonesia's no-nonsense policy under new President Joko Widodo effective Jan. 1 this year to seize all foreign vessels caught fishing in its waters and burn them.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Many vessels, including Malaysian-owned ones, have been destroyed this way and the crew were forced to witness the destruction so that they can return home and inform their bosses to stay away from Indonesian waters.It was also reported that Vietnamese fishermen were now forced to catch fish in neighbouring countries due to heavy pollution of its waters by a controversial Vietnamese-Taiwanese steel venture.