KANDAU SIDI New Straits Times 21 Sep 17;
MIRI: Up to 315 sharks of various sizes were among 2,000 kilograms of catch confiscated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) from a Vietnamese fishing vessel which was seized yesterday for invading Sarawak's northern waters.
Five Vietnamese crewmembers, aged 19 to 62, were also arrested.
Miri's MMEA director Fauzi Othman said the vessel, with the registration number VIVI 1 /QMY 8892K, was detained 60 nautical miles from the Miri River estuary at 6.05pm on Tuesday.
"The vessel does not have valid documents. All the Vietnamese crewmembers also have no legal documents," he said here today.
The crewmembers were detained to assist in a probe under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952/1960.
The vessel is now being held at the Pulau Melayu Vessel Detention Centre for further investigation.
315 live sharks seized off Miri’s shores
stephen then The Star 21 Sep 17;
MIRI: A fishing boat with two tonnes of fish and 315 live sharks have been detained off the shores of Miri in northern Sarawak.
Five Vietnamese fishermen, aged 19 to 62, were arrested during an operation carried out by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) at about 6pm on Wednesday.
The boat, with the crew on board, has been towed to Pulau Melayu bay near Miri city.
MMEA Miri head Mohd Fauzi Othman said two fishing boats were detected 60 nautical miles off Miri and upon checking, enforcement officers found that one of the boats did not have valid a fishing permit.
A check on board the fishing vessel found the Vietnamese crew with two tonnes of fish and 315 live sharks which were kept in several containers.
Initial investigations showed the possibility that the boat was heading to Vietnam with the catch.
The crew are being probed for violating fisheries laws while the boat has been compounded.
Live sharks seized from fishing boat
The Star 22 Sep 17;
MIRI: A fishing boat with two tonnes of fish and 315 live sharks was detained off Miri in northern Sarawak.
Five Vietnamese fishermen, aged between 19 and 62, were arrested in an enforcement operation carried out by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) at about 6pm on Wednesday.
The crew and the boat have been towed to Pulau Melayu bay near Miri city.
MMEA Miri head Mohd Fauzi Othman said an enforcement patrol boat detected two fishing boats about 60 nautical miles offshore and upon checking found that one of the boats did not have a valid fishing permit.
A check on board the fishing vessel found the Vietnamese crew with 2,000kg of harvest plus 315 live sharks kept in several containers.
An initial probe showed the possibility that the boat had been going from Miri to Vietnam with the harvests.
The crew is being probed for violating fisheries laws while the boat has been compounded.
Sarawak assistant tourism minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said there was a possibility that a big number of sharks and whales were travelling past Miri during their annual migration from the northern to the southern hemisphere.
“There is a need for the marine authorities to carry out comprehensive studies on this and do more to protect these sharks and whales.
“These creatures must be protected from illegal fishermen.
“These sharks and whales offshore Miri are tourist-draws too,” he said.
Lee praised the maritime agency for its efforts to tackle illegal fishing activities in the seas off Sarawak.
