Malaysia detains more Vietnamese fishermen on illegal fishing charges

By VnExpress  &nbspMarch 13, 2017 | 10:43 am GMT+7

One boat fled the scene while the other cut its lines in an attempt to escape.

The Malaysiam marine force arrested three Vietnamese fishermen for allegedly illegally fishing in its waters last Wednesday.

The fishermen were detained about 10 nautical miles from Sungai Terengganu at 9 p.m., according to Zulkafli Sariaat from the Malaysian Marine Operations Force (MOF).

“The fishermen immediately cut the main trawl ropes upon seeing the marine police, while another boat fled the scene,” said Zulkafli.

“Checks on the boat revealed that it had been modified. The Vietnamese fishermen had no proper documentation,” he said in a statement released to local media.

Zulkafli also said the marine police found three communications devices that did not adhere to the standards set by Malaysian authorities

The case is under further investigation.

Vietnamese fishermen are often caught fishing illegally in foreign waters.

In February, Australian authorities seized two fishing vessels and 29 Vietnamese fishermen for invading its waters, while Malaysia seized a Vietnamese fishing boat with 12 fishermen onboard for operating in its exclusive economic zone in December last year.

To prevent illegal fishing, Vietnam’s Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department is trying to raise awareness about maritime boundaries and international maritime laws, and conducts frequent patrols to prevent potential violations.

Related news:

> Malaysia detains Vietnamese fishermen for straying into exclusive waters, again

> Vietnam to deploy more vessels to protect fishermen amid Chinese fishing ban