KUCHING: A fishing vessel with three local crew members was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak for suspected involvement in illegal shark finning activities.
Sarawak Maritime director First Admiral Mohd Khairi Abd Aziz said the vessel was intercepted during a patrol operation under Op Tiris and Op Permai at about 1.3 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Muara Tebas here around 2.30pm yesterday (June 15).
“Inspection found that the vessel was operated by three local men aged between 32 and 61, and was engaged in shark finning, removing or possessing shark fins onboard and discarding the shark bodies into the sea, which clearly violates licence conditions under the Fisheries Act 1985,” he said in a statement today (June 16).
The vessel and all crew members were escorted to the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex (KOMTAS) Jetty and handed over to maritime investigation officers for further action.
MMEA also urged the maritime community to always comply with existing laws and prioritise safety at sea to avoid any untoward incidents.
