MIRI: Fishermen here claim they have been threatened by Chinese Navy vessels for fishing at the Luconia Shoals, also known as Gugusan Beting Patinggi Ali.
Chairman of the Miri Fishermen Association councillor Jamali Basri said the last time local fishermen here ventured into the area was in May.
“It is clear that the area is in Malaysian waters and our fishermen should be allowed to fish there.
“But our fishermen were chased from the shoals by the Chinese Navy boats and now they dare not go near the place to fish,” he said to Borneo Post when met at the Piasau Fishermen Market yesterday.
Voicing the anger of fishermen here, Jamali said the Chinese vessels which intruded into Malaysian waters had added insults to injury by preventing local fishermen from venturing into the area.
Jamali added the Chinese vessels had been stationed at the Luconia Shoals since 2013 and since then only fishing boats from China could fish in the area.
The Luconia Shoals located some 84 nautical miles off the coast here is a cluster of shoals and reef complexes in the South China Sea.