Lure of the much prized sea cucumber

KOTA TINGGI: A huge mothership sits in international waters while dozens of smaller boats crewed by Vietnamese fishermen, some armed with guns, encroach on Malaysian territory in search of a prize catch – sea cucumbers, which are abundant in the waters off eastern Johor.

Roaming nearly 1,400km from home and at sea for up to two months, including the time spent fishing off Sedili here, the fishermen are guided by state-of-the-art navigation systems.