PUTRAJAYA: A total of 1,162 of foreign vessels valued at RM81.3 million have been seized since 2004 until April this year, said Fisheries Department director-general Datuk Ismail Abu Hassan.
He said the coordination of maritime enforcement led by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) with the support of the Fisheries Department and the Marine Police Force had succeeded in arresting 7,634 crew members of foreign fishing vessels since 2006 to February this year.
“The Fisheries Volunteer (SUPER) community which is the department’s (fisheries) watchdog against activities such as illegal entry of foreign boats also provided assistance in the arrests. SUPER is also equipped with networking equipment such as GPS, walkie-talkie
and a fisherman’s radio to report on the occurrence of illegal activities,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said enforcement against illegal foreign boats was usually carried out by the MMEA while for local cases involving traditional fishermen, it was supervised by the Fisheries Department and the Marine Police.
Ismail said to protect local fishermen from foreign fishermen, the government has supplied 2,630 units of Automatic Identification System (AIS)
that is equipped with emergency buttons to Zone B trawler fishing boats, enabling its operators to monitor their fishing operations.
“Currently, only 286 units have been installed to Zone B trawler boats in Perlis, Kedah and Terengganu,” he said.
Ismail added, the Fishery Department wants the public, especially fishermen, to report activities that did not adhere to the Fisheries Act 1985 via telephone or the FISHCOM SMS hotline at 03-88805019, or to the nearest Fisheries District Office for further action. — Bernama