Kota Kinabalu: Sixteen Vietnamese fishermen were fined a total of RM2 million for illegal fishing.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus meted out the sentence to the Vietnamese who pleaded guilty to the charge against them, on Wednesday.
They were skipper Pham Nhanh, 39, crews Phan Vinh Linh, 44, Gan Anh Quang, 42, Tran Anh Kiet, 70, Do Huu Vu, 33, Do Huu Phu, 27, Le Van Dong, 47, Pham Tan Duy, 20, Nguyen Duc Tai, 29, Nguyen To Quang, 40, Phung Van Dang, 37, Nguyen Van Tri, 32, Nguyen Truong Nhat, 32, Nguyen Van Hung, 44, Nguyen Long, 33, and Phan Hong Linh, 43.
The skipper was fined RM500,000 in default and five months’ jail while the crews were ordered to pay a fine of RM100,000 or four months’ jail each.
The sixteen were found fishing without any permit inside a fishing vessel at 1.10pm on Aug 13 this year in Pulau Kalampunian, Kudat.
The Vietnamese were charged under Section 15(1) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25(a) of the same Act read together under Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a fine of up to RM6 million for the skipper, and RM600,000 for each crew of the vessel, on conviction.
During mitigation, all the Vietnamese asked for leniency and to be returned to their country as soon as possible.
The captain informed the court that they were cheated by the vessel owner from Vietnam to Malaysia waters.
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen from Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the grounds that the illegal fishing committed by foreign fishermen had affected the sea resources and livelihood of the local fishermen, especially in Sabah.
The court ordered the vessel to be forfeited to the Government of Malaysia.
The Vietnamese were also ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after paying their fines or serving their jail sentences.
