TAWAU: The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized a local fishing boat found carrying out fishing activities less than two nautical miles from the shore at Sg Merotai, here, Sunday.
Tawau Maritime Zone Director, Captain Shahrizan Raman said MMEA patrol vessel spotted the fishing boat during Op Pagar Laut and Op Sejahtera.
“Inspection on the boat showed that there were three men, of two Indonesian passport holders and a local aged, between 42 and 63.
“They were found to have violated conditions of the fishing licence by pulling the net at a distance of 1.7 nautical miles from the land,” he said.
Shahrizan said the crew were arrested while the boat and fish were seized and escorted to the Tawau MMEA Zone Jetty for further investigation.
He said the case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for carrying out fishing activities less than two nautical miles from the mainland.
Shahrizan said that all items were confiscated with an estimated value of RM117,000.
Commenting further, he said, MMEA would continue to monitor cases involving local fishermen who violate the conditions of their fishing licences by taking the opportunity to pull nets near the mainland.
He said, the activity of pulling nets at a distance close to the beach can damage to the marine ecosystem and discrupt the fishing activities of traditional fishermen in coastal areas.
Shahrizan also called on the public to help Maritime Malaysia by channeling information related to crime or suspicious activities at sea to the Centre Tawau Maritime Zone Operations at 089-750116 or MERS999.
