TAWAU: A local trawler was detected carrying out fishing activities 1.1 nautical miles from northeast of Kalabakan at 9.15am on Friday.
The presence of the boat, which is only permitted to operate in deep-sea areas, was detected by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tawau Maritime Zone during the trawler’s net-hauling operations.
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Tawau Maritime Zone Director, Captain Maritim Ariffin Ghazali, said the boat was detected during Operation Pluto Timur and Operation Sejahtera.
“Following the inspection, our team found three foreign nationals, who were passport holders, consisting of the skipper and two crew, aged between 28 and 46,” he said on Saturday.
Ariffin mentioned that enforcement action was taken against the boat and all involved individuals for allegedly violating the terms of their operating license by fishing in a prohibited area.
As a result, his team brought the skipper, crew members, boat, trawler nets, and all seized seafood cargo to the Tawau Maritime Zone Jetty for further action and investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985.
“The total value of the confiscated items in this case is estimated to be over RM 58,000,” he said, while reminding deep-sea fishermen not to enter near-shore areas to catch fish.
In further comments, Tawau Maritime said it frequently receives complaints from coastal fishermen who are affected by the presence of trawler boats often seen fishing in these areas.
He added that the department takes this issue seriously because trawling activities near the shore can damage marine ecosystems and the fishing equipment of small-scale and traditional fishermen.
“We hope the public will assist by providing information related to crimes or suspicious activities at sea to the Tawau Maritime Zone Centre at 089-750116 for immediate action,” he said.
