MIRI, Sept 20: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri personnel seized half-a-tonne of marine life worth RM5,000 from a local fishing trawler off Kuala Niah on Tuesday morning (Sept 18).
MMEA chief of enforcement, Captain Md Fauzi Othman, said in a press statement on Thursday, six local crew members on the vessel, aged 26 to 56-years-old were also detained for illegal trawling and further questioning.
“The Class C fishing vessel was caught by MMEA at 4.3 nautical miles off Kuala Niah around 10.50am on Sept 18 (Tuesday),he said, adding the vessel was observed using the drag net fishing method.
It is an offence for trawlers to carry out drag net fishing within 12 nautical miles from the coastline under Section 8 of the Fisheries Act 1985. — DayakDaily
