Fighting for Malaysia's fish: Game of cat and mouse on the high seas

Officers from the MV Pekan (right) preparing to board a foreign fishing boat in Malaysian waters in July 2021. — Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency

Robust criminal networks are hampering efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that is not only costing Malaysia billions but also threatening our food supply and the ocean’s ecosystem.

You can expect your steamed fish and butter prawns to become more expensive what with almost 1 million tonnes of seafood being siphoned out of our waters each year.