TAWAU: A local trawler was found fishing illegally about 1.1 nautical miles northeast of Kalabakan at 9.15am on Friday, well within coastal waters reserved for small-scale fishers.
The intrusion was spotted by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tawau Maritime Zone during Op Pluto Timur and Op Sejahtera while the vessel was hauling its trawl net.
Tawau Maritime Zone director Ariffin Ghazali said inspections found three foreign men aged between 28 and 46 — the skipper and two crew — all passport holders, on board.
He said enforcement action was taken against the boat and crew for suspected breach of licence conditions by operating in prohibited waters, with the vessel, gear and catch escorted to the Tawau Maritime Jetty for investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985.
Ariffin added that the seizure was valued at more than RM58,000, noting persistent complaints from coastal fishers and warning that trawling nearshore damages marine ecosystems and small fishers’ equipment, while urging the public to report suspicious activity to the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-750116.