By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, April 8: Three Vietnamese fishermen claimed trial at the Sessions Court here today to charges of fishing in national waters without permits.
As their counsel Arthur Lee who is based in Miri is only available in April and the prosecution is also in the process of getting a report from fishing gear and boat experts, Sessions Court Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd Yusoff fixed April 23 for mention.
The three Vietnamese fishermen were produced in court as their remand period expired today and they were charged at the Sessions Court.
Nyuyen Van Dai, Nguyen Phuoc Thuen, and Ngo Hoai Hau were charged with engaging in fishing activities without any authorization that permits them to do so under an international fishery agreement in force between the Malaysian government and the government of Vietnam, and any permit issued by the Director General of Fisheries Malaysia under Section 19 of the Fisheries Act 1985.
They were found fishing in foreign fishing vessel on March 24, at about 5.30am, at 51.7 nautical miles from Tanjung Sirik, Sarawak and 43.9 nautical miles from the Malaysia-Indonesia international maritime border, in the Malaysian fisheries water.
They are charged under paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985, read together with subsection 24(1) Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under paragraph 25(a) read together with paragraph 52(1)(a) of the same Act.
Paragraph 25(a) carries a fine not exceeding RM1,000,000 each in the case of the owner or master, and RM100,000 in the case of every member of the crew, upon conviction.
Paragraph 52(1)(a) carries an additional penalty that the vessel (including its equipment, furniture, appurtenances, stores, cargo and fishing appliance), vehicle, article or thing used in the commission of such offence or in relation to which offence has been committed be forfeited, upon conviction. — DayakDaily
