KUDAT – Maritime enforcement has arrested 20 crew members of a Vietnamese fishing vessel accused of encroaching on the waters off northern Sabah here.
The fishermen aged between 18 and 51 were detained some 34 nautical miles off Tg Simpang Mengayau here, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
District director Boon Chin Chau said they were arrested on suspicion of illegal fishing in Malaysian waters, an offence under the 1985 Fisheries Act and the 1959/1963 Immigration Act.
“They need to get the Fisheries Department’s director’s permission to fish in pour waters. They were also found without proper identification papers on them,” said Boon, adding that materials used for fishing and their catch were found on the vessel. – The Vibes, April 16, 2021
