ROMPIN: A locally registered Class C fishing boat with seven Vietnamese crew members was detained yesterday about 7.6 nautical miles off Pulau Tioman near here for violating their licence conditions.
Pahang Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Mazlan Mat Rejab said the agency's patrol boat, which was conducting the 'Op Makmur' maritime operation, spotted the brightly-lit vessel suspiciously anchored near the duty-free island.
"When MMEA's enforcement team inspected the boat, seven men including the skipper were onboard. All the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 33 and 56, had valid passports and documents.
"Upon searching the vessel, the enforcement team found squid-jigging equipment and 200kg of fresh squid. The fishermen and boat were taken to the Teluk Gading maritime jetty in Rompin for inspection," he said in a statement today.
Mazlan said the foreigners were being investigated under Section 8(b) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for breaching licensing conditions by carrying out fishing activities less than 12 nautical miles (offshore) for Class C boats.
For the record, Class C fishing boats can only carry out their activities beyond 12 nautical miles offshore.
He urged members of the public with information on illegal activities at sea to inform the Malaysia Emergency Response Services (MERS 999) or the Pahang Maritime Operating Centre at 09-5717345.
Caption: 1. Seven Vietnamese fishermen were detained yesterday off Pulau Tioman in Rompin for violating their licence conditions.