PUTRAJAYA: A total of 598 foreign fishing vessels were detained under Op Naga, a multi-agency operation aimed at curbing the incursion of foreign fishing boats and safeguarding the nation's marine resources, from May 2019 to September this year.
MMEA director-general, Maritime Rear Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, said that, during this period, the total recorded value of the catch exceeded RM209mil.
He noted that 75% of the arrests involved 451 Vietnamese fishing vessels, with 4,391 crew members apprehended, resulting in seizures valued at over RM190mil.
"The threat of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities must be addressed, with the cooperation of all parties, including security forces and the local maritime community.
"If left unchecked, these activities will disrupt the marine ecosystem's habitat, jeopardising the reproduction of fish fry, and ultimately impacting the livelihoods of local fishermen,” he said, in a statement on Thursday (Oct 17).
Mohd Rosli expressed hope that cooperation to ensure the success of Op Naga can be further strengthened, to maintain national sovereignty and safeguard the country’s economic resources.
Op Naga is an integrated operation, coordinated by the MMEA, involving collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysia Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the Fisheries Department.
Additionally, the operation has garnered support from the Malaysia Marine Department, the Immigration Department, the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department, the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, the Enforcement Division of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, and the Sabah Fisheries Department. - Bernama
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