KOTA BARU, April 15 — The issue over the country losing marine resource revenue worth over RM4.25 billion annually due to foreign fishing boats encroaching into Malaysian waters, must be addressed in an integrated manner, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries II Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi.
He said the ministry through the Fisheries Department had always been working in collaboration with other agencies such as the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Marine Police Force (PPM) to curb illegal encroachment activities.
“The South China Sea is bordered by Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia and there is no doubt that the Malaysian waters has been the focus because the best fishing grounds are found here.
“We do admit that there are still cases of foreign fishermen encroaching into the waters of other countries, as happened in Malaysia. This issue is seen as a national issue and the relevant agencies must address the problem in an integrated manner,” he said.
He said this to reporters after a visit to a fish hatchery belonging to fish breeder Muhammad Mohd Yusoff in Kampung Pulau Panjang, Pengkalan Chepa, here today.
Che Abdullah was commenting on the issue over annual losses of RM4.25 billion revenue due to foreign fishermen robbing the nation’s marine resources as revealed by the Fisheries Department in a local newspaper, yesterday. — Bernama
