MMEA Miri nabs two foreign vessels for alleged illegal fishing
MIRI (May 31): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained two foreign fishing vessels for attempting to carry out illegal fishing activities off Miri yesterday.
The vessels, from Indonesia and Vietnam respectively, were detected approximately 38 nautical miles northwest of Kuala Suai and 31 nautical miles northwest of Kuala Niah.
MMEA Miri director Capt Mohd Khairol Anuar Saad said the vessels were intercepted during Op Permai 01/2019, Op Naga Timur, and Op Tiris 3.0.
'The Indonesian vessel was detained at around 12pm, while the Vietnamese vessel was detected and detained at approximately 5.45pm following a public tip-off regarding its presence,' he said in a statement.
During the attempt to intercept the Vietnamese vessel, the patrol crew encountered resistance as the foreign crew performed dangerous manoeuvres, putting the safety of the officers at risk.
However, the situation was quickly brought under control, and the vessel was successfully detained without any injuries reported.
A total of eight crew members, including two captains – five Indonesians and three Vietnamese aged between 25 and 53 – were taken into custody.
All detainees were escorted to the Miri Vessel Detention Centre for further investigation.
Mohd Khairol said the case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985, which provides for fines of up to RM6 million for captains and RM600,000 for each crew member involved in fishing without a permit or trespassing in Malaysian waters.
'The MMEA remains committed to enforcing the law in Malaysia's maritime zones and will not compromise with any offenders,' he added.
The public is urged to report any suspicious maritime activity or emergencies by contacting the Sarawak Maritime Operations Centre Miri at 085-649 111, the MMEA Sarawak office at 082-432544 or 082-432016, or via the emergency hotline 999. foreign fishing vessels miri MMEA
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