The Vietnamese fishermen walk out of the courtroom following the sentencing.
KUCHING: The Sessions Court here yesterday jailed and fined the skipper of a Vietnamese vessel as well as his 12 crew members for encroaching into the country’s waters.
The skipper was sentenced to two months in jail and fined RM200,000 in default seven months’ jail, while the crew members were each sentenced to two months in jail and fined RM50,000 in default seven months’ jail.
All 13 accused, aged between 21 and 45, pleaded guilty to the charge framed against them under Section 16(3) of the Fisheries Act 1985, read together with Section 24(1) of the same Act, and punishable under Section 259(a) of the same Act (Act 317).
They had illegally entered the state’s waterways on May 16 and were detained roughly 51.3 nautical miles from Tanjung Sirik.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak prosecutor Stella Augustine Druce told Judge Dayang Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad that they had encroached into Malaysian waters to fish illegally.
The vessel was forfeited and its eight-tonne catch seized.
None of the men were able to pay the fine.
Dayang Ellyn ordered for their custodial sentence to take effect consecutively from yesterday.
On June 16, all 13 had also pleaded guilty to the charge when they were first produced in another Sessions Court, whereby the skipper was fined RM100,000 and crew members RM75,000 each.
They decided to appeal against the decision and the High Court judge who presided over the appeal allowed it and ordered a retrial.