Vietnamese fishing vessel and 200kg catch seized

KUCHING: The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency ( MMEA) has seized 200kg of fish from a Vietnamese fishing vessel some 206 nautical miles north east of Tanjung Po around midnight on Oct 10.

MMEA Kuching District (DM11) director Capt Shahref Steve MacQueen Abdullah said the boat which was also seized, was towed to the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex ( Komtas) jetty and arrived yesterday evening.

“Checks on the boat also revealed nine Vietnamese crew members including their captain, aged 18 to 45,” said Shahref in a statement received here yesterday.

The crew members are investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 and if found guilty, are liable to be fined between RM100,000 and RM1 million and jail term each. The public are urged to relay any information regarding suspicious activities or fishing boats in the state’s exclusive economic zone by calling the agency at 082- 432544.