Poor catches due to overfishing by illegal vessels

KUALA TERENGGANU: The state Fisheries Department has voiced its concern over the depleting number of catches in Terengganu waters due to encroachment of foreign vessels. 

Department director Munir Mohd Nawi said the issue should be contained to ensure that the local fishermen continue to enjoy bountiful catches. 

“The catches had dwindled this year compared to 2006 and a major contributing factor is overfishing by illegal vessels,” he said here recently. 

Munir said the foreign vessels were equipped with advance systems to detect areas with fish. 

“These aliens are also armed. There were previous cases of confrontations between marine enforcers and foreign fishing crews in possession of lethal weapons but fortunately no untoward incidents had been reported so far,” he said.  

Munir said enforcement efforts are being carried out to thwart the encroachment of foreign vessels into Malaysian waters. 

He said 16 fishermen from Thailand, including two of their skippers, were apprehended during an operation concentrating at the east coast zone recently. 

Munir said the illegal fishermen aged between 22 and 55 were detained in two separate operations, one 83 nautical miles from Kuala Terengganu and another 30 nautical miles from here last Thursday. 

He said 15 fishermen from Johor were also detained for cross-boundary encroachment near Pulau Berhala in Pahang. 

“The annual operation involves the commitment from three east- coast states to impede any attempts of trespassing by unauthorised vessels,” he added.  

The foreigners will be charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fishery Act 1985 while the local fishermen will face charges under Section 8 of the same act for violating their permits.