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22 foreigners nabbed for illegal fishing

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One of the cargo boats used by foreign fishermen to catch fish using the pair trawling method in Miri waters early last Sunday.
One of the cargo boats used by foreign fishermen to catch fish using the pair trawling method in Miri waters early last Sunday.

MIRI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two cargo boats along with 22 foreign fishermen believed to be fishing illegally using the pair trawling method in Miri waters early last Sunday.

Miri MMEA director, Captain (Maritime) Md Fauzi Othman said the vessels, One United 26 and One United 16, belonging to a local company were detained about 97.6 nautical miles off Tanjong Lobang at 3.17am.

“Both vessels were registered as local cargo boats, but they were being used to catch fish.

“This is not the first time boats belonging to local companies have been used by foreign fishermen to catch fish illegally in Miri waters,” he said here.

A total of 5,000kg of fish worth RM50,000 were seized and all 22 crew, aged between 21 and 39, along with both boats were brought to MMEA Vesel Detention Centre in Pulau Melayu for further investigation.

“Both the cargo boats are suspected to have violated the Fisheries Act, 1985 and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952/1960,” he said.

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