- November 9, 2017 @ 5:57pm
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Fisheries Department is urging owners of fishing vessels to adhere to regulations to ensure the sustainability of the state’s fisheries resources.
Its director, Dr Ahemad Sade, said there were 51 vessels that had been issued licenses to fish beyond 30 nautical miles away from shore.
“The vessels’ owners have to follow licensing regulations, which include submitting fish landings report to the department.
“Currently, we have no records on those vessels offloading their catch to elsewhere,” he said, adding that if there were any losses incurred, it could be computed only by research units such as the Federal Fisheries Department or the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations.
It has been reported the country had lost about an estimated of 980,000 tonnes of its fisheries resources, worth between RM3 billion and RM6 billion annually, due to illegal fishing by foreigners.
He said there had been cloning of licensed vessels, of which some were found on fishing boats from countries such as Vietnam, but the department was able to scan their vessels to determine the vessels’ owners and other details.
Ahemad added the department was ensuring that local fishing vessels were installed with monitoring devices and that they could only hire foreign workers with proper documents, including working permits.
On the claims that those fishing vessels are using nets, instead of longlines, he said the fishermen had used nets to catch small fishes for baits to be used to fish with longlines.
On enforcement, the department has been cooperating with other agencies, on encroachment of fishing vessels into non-fishing zones and fish bombing activities.
Its deputy director (legislation and enforcement), Mohd Yusof Abdullah, said the department, which has four main bases in the state, conducted more than 400 joint operations annually.
There are about 60 enforcement personnel taking part in operations to check on fish landings, encroachment by fishing vessels into non-fishing zones, fish bombings and poisoning.
“Fishing zones in the state are divided into west and east coasts, as well as the Tawau zone.
“On the encroachment issue, the department usually compound large sized vessels that fish at inappropriate distance from shores.”
Since 2015 until today, the department had recorded 306 encroachment by local vessels and 106 fish bombing and poisoning.
In the same period, compounds amounted to RM258,000 were issued for offences under the Fisheries Act 1985.
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| The Sabah Fisheries department Director Dr Ahemad Sade, said there were 51 vessels that had been issued licenses to fish beyond 30 nautical miles away from shore. Pic by NSTP/MALAI ROSMAH TUAH |
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