MMEA nabs six foreigners for illegal fishing in Labuan waters

LABUAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized a local fishing boat and detained its skipper along with six foreign crew members for illegally fishing in Labuan waters, on Friday (Nov 25).

Labuan Maritime Zone director Captain Nudin Jusoh said the agency’s KM Bistari patrol boat detected a local fishing boat engaged in fishing activities at 31.2 nautical miles from Labuan.

On inspection, it was found that the crew, comprising five Vietnamese nationals and an Indonesian, was fishing for sea cucumbers using unauthorised equipment.

"The undocumented foreigners, aged between 20 and 44 years, along with the skipper have been detained”, he said.

The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for trespassing and fishing in Malaysian waters without permission and the Immigration Act 1959/1963 for failure to produce valid identification documents.

Nudin urged the maritime community to cooperate in curbing criminal activities by making a complaint through the MERS 999 line or the Labuan Maritime Operations Centre at 087-427999.- Bernama