LUCRATIVE CATCH: Nor Adli (right) shows reporters a tuna weighing over 60kg, which was seized together with the foreign vessel.
MIRI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained 10 Vietnamese fishermen at Beting Patinggi Ali on Tuesday for illegally encroaching and fishing in Malaysian waters.
When caught at 105 nautical miles from Miri, the foreign vessel was ferrying about two tonnes of yellow fin tuna believed to be worth between RM2,000 and RM3,000.
At a press conference yesterday, Maritime Commander Syed Nor Adli Syed Ab Rahman said the enforcement team spotted the vessel about 6am and trailed it for some 20 minutes.
“We trailed the vessel because the vessel crew did not cooperate with us when we asked them to stop. After 20 minutes, our officers managed to climb onto the vessel, inspected it for about one hour and detained the 10 boat crew for operating in Malaysian waters without any valid permit,” he said.
The foreign vessel was later tugged to the MMEA Vessel Detention Centre at Kampung Pulau Melayu by the enforcement team’s patrol boat KM Ru.
The crew members in their 20s and 30s have been remanded for nine days to facilitate investigation under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985.
If found guilty, the boat master could be fined up to RM1 million while the crew members could be fined up to RM100,000.
“Initial investigation found that the crew have been fishing in Malaysian waters using the line fishing method and their main catches were tuna,” Nor Adli said, adding that the whole vessel and its catch is believed to be worth between RM250,000 and RM300,000.
This is the third foreign fishing vessel detained this year for operating in Malaysian waters without a legal permit.
“We have so far detained three foreign vessels involving 28 Vietnamese boat crews this year,” he said adding that, last year four foreign vessels were detained for similar offences.
He said several more foreign vessels are believed to be operating illegally in Malaysian waters near Miri, but bad weather conditions made it difficult for the MMEA enforcement team to take action.
“This is the monsoon season and the rough sea is preventing us from carrying out our routine operations smoothly. However, we will continue with our enforcement operations to ensure that our waters are free from illegal foreign fishermen’s vessels,” he said.