TANJUNG MANIS: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here detained a local Class C fishing boat and eight crew members for breaching their license conditions yesterday (Apr 29).
Acting on public tip-offs, MMEA patrol vessels intercepted the boat at around 5.1 nautical miles west of Pulau Bruit.
MMEA Tanjung Manis director Commander Mahkos Juing said the boat and its crew were found to be fishing less than seven nautical miles from the nearest shoreline.
“Therefore, they had breached the conditions of their licence under the Fisheries Act 1985.
“Further checks found the boat was manned by eight individuals — one local and seven Indonesians — aged between 36 and 56.
“Both the boat and its crew were escorted to the LKIM jetty and handed over to the investigating officer for further action,” he said.
Mahkos stated that the agency would not tolerate any violations at sea and would continue stepping up enforcement to ensure compliance with maritime laws and the safety of national waters.
Those with information on maritime crimes or emergencies can report them to MMEA Tanjung Manis Operations Centre at 011-3572 8765 and MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.
