MMEA should explain why fishermen, boats released — Junz
KOTA KINABALU: Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Junz Wong has asked the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to explain why some detained fishermen and seized Vietnam fishing boats were released.
“People have been asking why some detained fishermen and seized Vietnam fishing boats were released.
“I am not privy to this information.
“If indeed this is true, the MMEA should come out with an explanation on this matter because I believe that certain SOP may not have been followed,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“There is no room for nontransparent governance, we want law to be enforced, we will not tolerate anything less,” he added.
Junz praised MMEA, the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Marine Police, Marine Department Malaysia and other related agencies for their swift move in taking action against fishing foreign vessels which encroached into Sabah waters.
MMEA acted on tip-off by the public about the existence of several foreign fishing vessels in Sabah water around Pulau Mengalum recently. For the last two weeks several Vietnamese fishing boats were detained by MMEA for illegally fishing in Sabah waters.
Junz said the Sabah government is not taking lightly the issue of foreign vessels coming into Sabah waters depleting and damaging its marine resources.
“All fishermen detained must be brought to court as soon as possible and their boats are confiscated if they are found guilty,” he stressed.
“The boats will be sunk into the sea to become artificial reef for fishes and other marine life to breed,” he added.
Junz said this action would also act as warning and deterrent to would-be offenders that we mean business.
He commended the close cooperation between all the enforcement agencies to curb illegal activities at sea and urged them to continue and intensify operations at sea to protect our resources and the livelihood of our fishermen.
Recently, MMEA scored its biggest success when it seized about 5,000 kilograms of endangered species of fish, including 230 Tiger Sharks, from three Vietnamese boats near Pulau Mengalum.
Thirty-five Vietnamese fishermen were detained for investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985.