MMEA detains a Class B trawler near Lumut for violating fishing licence conditions, including using undersized nets under the Fisheries Act.
IPOH: The Perak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a Class B trawler vessel close to Pulau Tukun Terindak, near Lumut, yesterday for allegedly violating the conditions of its fishing licence.
Its director, Maritime Captain Mohamad Shukri Khotob, said the vessel was detained around 8 am at a position approximately 3.58 nautical miles (nm) west of the island by MMEA personnel conducting routine patrols via Op Sayong/Op Khas Tanjung 2 and Op Tiris in Perak waters.
“The inspection of the vessel’s documents found that the vessel was operated by a skipper along with two crew members from Myanmar, aged between 39 and 49 years.
“Preliminary investigations found that the vessel being suspected of committing several violations of the valid fishing licence conditions under the Fisheries Act 1985, and that the owner did not operate the vessel themselves and used nets with a mesh size of less than 38 millimetres,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad Shukri said two foreign crew members were investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the vessel, fish catch, and fishing equipment were seized before being handed over to the MMEA officers for further action.
In another development, Mohamad Shukri said that 31 sets of dragon traps or crab traps, worth RM4,000, were seized following a public complaint about 0.5 nm west of the mouth of Sungai Tiang, Manjung, around 2 pm yesterday.
He said the seizure carried out after the MMEA patrol boat team found several suspicious buoys on the water’s surface while conducting a routine patrol in the area.
“All the seized dragon traps have been handed over to the MMEA investigating officer for further action. The owner of the dragon traps can be investigated under Section 11(3)(c) of the Fisheries Act 1985,” he also said.
He added that the MMEA urges the public, especially the maritime community, to continue providing information related to any violations of maritime laws to the emergency line 999 or the Perak State Maritime Operations Centre at 05-6838737 to enable immediate action to be taken.