KUALA LUMPUR: Vietnamese fishermen made up most of the arrests of foreign fishermen encroaching in Malaysian waters, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Tuesday (July 29).
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said that from 2020 to last year, there were 515 arrests made of foreign fishermen illegally encroaching on Malaysian territory, of which 367 were Vietnamese anglers.
“Losses to the country are estimated to be at RM823mil,” said Mohamad in a parliamentary written reply dated July 28.
Mohamad was responding to Dr Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi (PAS-Kuala Kedah), who asked about steps taken by the ministry in Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship year to address the slew of Vietnamese fishermen encroaching on the country’s waters.
Mohamad said that Malaysia was working through through the Asean Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries and the Asean Network (AN) for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU).
“Here, Malaysia plays an important role in strengthening regional communication and also information sharing regarding IUU fishing,” he said.
Mohamad said his ministry, through the Malaysian Fisheries Department, has formed the IUU Fishing committee where 63 foreign vessels have been classified as IUU.
“45 of them were Vietnamese vessels,” he added.
Mohamad added that Malaysia is also strengthening sub-regional cooperation in the South China Sea, the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas and the Gulf of Thailand.
“We are also maintaining diplomatic ties and information exchange with foreign fisheries agencies, including Vietnam, as well as finalising a new memorandum of understanding in agriculture and fisheries cooperation,” he added.
