Curb illegal fishing in coastal waters by deep-sea fishermen — Hamisa

TAWAU: Tanjong Batu assemblywoman Datuk Hamisa Samat has urged government agencies to oversee and monitor alleged deep-sea fishermen’s illegal trawling activities in waters near the coast which are blamed for poor catch by traditional fishermen.

She said government agencies such as the Sabah Fisheries Department and Sabah Fisheries Development Board should review the licensing of deep-sea fishermen as well as control the activity.

Hamisa said unmonitored activities caused problems to local fishermen, especially traditional fishermen that depended on fish stock at coastal area.

To ensure that trawling does not happen near coastal areas, it is urgent to cooperate with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and ask them to patrol and monitor more often, she said during a dialogue session with 40 fishermen at Kampung Pukat Tanjong Batu, yesterday.

Hamisa, who is also Assistant Minister of Resources Development and Information Technology, said she received complaints from fishermen over use of trawlers in the coastal areas, which had affected their source of income.

She said coastal fishermen complained that their catch was dimishing due to the intrusion of fishing trawlers in unauthorized areas less than five nautical miles from the coast during night and early hours of the morning.

Hamisa urged the authorities to curb the trawlers’ illegal activities such as more frequent patrol and firm enforcement actions against trawlers that flouted their licence.