KOTA KINABALU: A fishing vessel operating too close to shore has been seized for breaching maritime regulations, along with its catch of almost a tonne.
Its captain and five crew members, all Indonesians, were also detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), said Sabah Maritime director First Adm Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali.
He said in the Monday (June 2) raid, MMEA personnel were conducting patrols when they saw the vessel operating close to Tanjung Tembungo near here.
“Our team went to investigate and found that the vessel was fishing just about one nautical mile (1.85km) from shore, which is illegal,” he said on Wednesday (June 4).
First Adm Khairulanuar said the suspects were detained while the vessel and its catch, worth an estimated RM45,000 in total, were confiscated and brought back to base for investigations under the Fisheries Act 1985.
He said fishing too close to shore disrupted the livelihood of local fishermen and threatened marine ecosystems by destroying corals and the seabed.
He said the MMEA would step up patrols and anti-crime operations at sea.
He urged the public to report any suspicious activities at sea to the Sabah Maritime direct line at 088-270165, or the 999 emergency number.
