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KUALA LUMPUR – The Fisheries Department has begun a public consultation drive that includes holding meetings with stakeholders to obtain opinions and feedback on the proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act 1985.
A source close to the government agency stressed that the amendment process started in 2019 but was delayed and experienced difficulties due to various standard operating procedures (SOPs) implemented by the government over the Covid-19 pandemic.
The official, who declined to be named, said understanding and support from stakeholders, especially local fishermen, is needed to ensure that the law is improved and passed to prevent the fish supply in the country’s natural waters from depleting.
“The Fisheries Department has already started meeting with fishermen and professionals, such as lecturers and experts on Malaysian waters. However, we have not fully met the relevant stakeholders due to Covid-19.
“God willing, after the country enters this endemic phase, we will mobilise efforts to meet all stakeholders to ensure that the law enacted will be implemented comprehensively, in order to combat the shortage of fish supply due to various factors,” the source was quoted as saying by Getaran, The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal.
The former Pakatan Harapan government had successfully passed the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2019, which included a maximum fine for owners or captains of foreign vessels which encroach into Malaysian waters. It stipulated that the fine be increased from RM1 million to RM6 million.
Additionally, the fine for each crew member on the trespassing boat was doubled from RM100,000 to RM600,000.
Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who then held the post of agriculture and agro-based industry minister, had stressed that the fine increase was appropriate as the previous rate under the Fisheries Act was very low compared to those imposed by other countries in the region.
At the same time, Salahuddin had said that to combat the problem of “clone” boats, the government, through the Fisheries Department, was working on improving the identification and security features of local vessels by using QR barcodes.
Radio frequency identification as well as a strict licensing system using satellite tracking, such as through mobile tracking units, and the imposition of certain conditions were also planned.
However, the use of such technology was never implemented until recently, when the country began facing a shortage of fish.
In the meantime, sources said that the Fisheries Department will propose to the government and MPs the further amendment of the Fisheries Act 1985 – especially on matters involving foreign fishermen, given that they are still brazenly encroaching into Malaysian seas.
“Apart from holding meetings, we will review and examine the matter, including increasing the punishment for offenders who rob the country of its seafood,” he said.
Clearly, the amendment is being proposed because it has never been fully enacted to ensure severe penalties are imposed on foreign fishermen who make illegal catches.
There also needs to be proper control over local fishermen who use fishing equipment that could threaten the marine ecosystem.
“The last time the act was amended was in 2019, but it was not done comprehensively. The amendment only went so far as to increase the general penalties for offences under the Fisheries Act 1985,” the source explained.
“Therefore, we hope that various stakeholders who are related to the country’s seafood supply cooperate with us in channelling the best feedback so that we can implement stricter laws, especially against the encroachment of foreign fishermen looting fish from Malaysian seas,” the source said.
Previously, Getaran reported that Malaysia has been so heavily “burdened” by the existence of cartels that control the price and production of fish in the peninsula that the supply of seafood was squeezed.
In fact, greedy foreign fishermen who have become increasingly bold in invading the country’s waters to harvest fish have caused the supply to dwindle, in addition to severely impacting local fishermen.
Even more alarmingly, the country’s marine species are said to be in danger of becoming extinct in the next ten to 15 years if the illegal and unwarranted activities are not curbed.
However, the issue does not seem to be facing resolution any time soon.
Based on information obtained by Getaran, there are government officials who are willing to operate as “intermediaries’’ to help facilitate applications by foreign fishermen, especially Vietnamese citizens, for fishing licences in Malaysia. – The Vibes, June 4, 2022
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