‘No action against illegal fishing despite tip-off from locals’

MIRI: Fishermen here are frustrated that Fishery Department and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency have not acted despite being tipped off on foreigners using tourist licences to fish.

Fisherman Kamberi Bakar said he had tipped off Fishery Department on seeing two tourist boats bearing licence plate QMY being driven out to sea by six foreign fishermen at 11.30am on Jan 16.

Later Kamberi was told the department’s staff managed to take photos of the boat plying the river in front of Piasau industrial area,

“I was near Kampung Pengkalan Lutong riverfront when I saw two boats carrying foreign fishermen and immediately alerted the Fishery Department,” Kambery recalled yesterday.

He was informed by the Department that their staff managed to take down the licence numbers of the boats while they were plying Miri River in front of their premises at Piasau Industrial area. Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency was then asked to nab these boats at sea.

“I’m frustrated that despite being tipped off, the authority concerned lack the will to catch the culprits,” Kambery complained.

He had also tipped off Immigration on the whereabouts of these foreigners but no effort was made to nab them.

Another fisherman Kalana Sidi noticed that the two boats came back from sea yesterday (Jan 18) with their catch after a few days of fishing, with more people onboard this time.

He said: “There’s no point to give information to the relevant agencies if they don’t move to stop these foreign fishermen from fishing here.

“I’m sad that these agencies are not complying with the orders of the late CM Tok Nan to beef up their enforcement agencies to protect our state’s interests.”

Kalana noticed that the two boats carrying their catches were being driven up Miri River to its jetty.

As at press time, there has been no report of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency conducting patrols to capture these fishermen.

They merely advised local fishermen to carry their identity cards with them in case they got mistaken for foreigners while out at sea.

I was near Kampung Pengkalan Lutong riverfront when I saw two boats carrying foreign fishermen and immediately alerted the Fishery Department. Kamberi Bakar, fisherman