GEORGE TOWN, May 20 — The Penang Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized a Class B 1 local fishing boat and detained three fishermen for catching fish in zone A at about 3.7 kilometres from the west of Pulau Rimau, near here this morning.
Penang MMEA director Capt Hamizan Harun said in the 3.30am incident, the owner of the fishing boat was willing to trawl in the dark to gain double profits in the prohibited area before being arrested by the MMEA.
“On inspection, three local men namely one skipper and two crew members, aged 26 to 34 were in the boat and they were found to have breached licence conditions,” he said here today.
The boat, together with one roll of trawl net, two iron trawl and total catch of nearly 200 kilogrammes of various types of fish, was also seized.
The case is being investigated under Section 8 (b) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for the offence of fishing in waters less than 14.8km from the coast. — Bernama
