Five viets fined RM530,000 for fishing illegally
Published on: Wednesday, August 07, 2019
By: Cynthia D Baga
KOTA KINABALU: Five Vietnamese were fined a total of RM530,000 for fishing illegally in Malaysian waters.
The five were skipper Truong Thanh, 30, crew Phi Van Tan, 37, Nguyen Van My, 29, Nguyen Van Dat, 30 and Nguyen Van Vinh, 30, who pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus, Tuesday.
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Truong was fined RM250,000 or three months’ jail while the rest were ordered to pay a fine of RM70,000 in default two months’ jail each.
The offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25 (a) of the same Act and read with Section 34 of the Penal Code provides for fine of up to RM1 million for the skipper, and RM100,000 for each crew of the vessel, upon conviction.
The five committed the offence at 10am on June 30 this year inside a vessel at the 18 nautical east from Sibongor Laut Banggi, Kudat.
After paying their fines or serving their jail sentences, the Vietnamese were ordered referred to the Immigration Department for deportation.
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All of them are currently serving sentence for entering the State illegally.
During mitigation, all of them who were not represented, asked for leniency saying that they have families in Vietnam to look after.
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The court was informed by one of them that were not aware that fishing in the waters of Malaysia is illegal.
However, Prosecuting Officer Aimi Najiha Abdullah from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence as they had trespassed into Malaysian waters and their action has affected the fishing sector in Malaysia.
On July 5 this year, 56 Vietnamese fishermen were also charged with fishing illegally in the Malaysian waters.
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