Nine foreigners land behind bars for illegal fishing

KUCHING: The Sessions Court here sentenced nine Indonesians to prison yesterday (Nov 27) for fishing without a valid permit in Malaysia’s waters.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak director First Admiral Zin Azman Md Yunus said the men aged between 22 and 43, pleaded guilty to the charges framed under Section 16 (3) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for failure to notify the Malaysian Fisheries Department of their voyage.

Initially, the court imposed a RM1 million fine for the skippers and fines of up to RM200,000 for the crew members.

“However, they failed to settle the fines and
the court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four to seven months.

“Consequently, the court ordered all nine men to serve their sentences, effective from the date of their arrest on Nov 17, at Puncak Borneo Prison.

“The court also ordered the forfeiture of the vessel and the proceeds from the oil and fish auction to go to the Malaysian government,” he said.

He clarified that the arrests occurred within Malaysian waters and not near the Malaysia-Indonesia border.

In light of this, Zin Azman assured that the agency will take strict action against any foreign fishing boats engaged in illegal activities in Malaysian waters, in accordance with existing legal provisions.

The maritime community is urged to promptly report any instances of misconduct or criminal activity at sea to the MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.