Two boats held for suspected fisheries offences

Two vessels were detained off Pulau Tabawan on Saturday for suspected Fisheries Act offences during Op Sejahtera 1/2022 and Op Tiris 4.0, according to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The purse seine fishing vessel and a pump boat were intercepted in separate Lahad Datu operations between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm local time. The detentions followed suspected anchovy fishing 0.37 nautical miles southeast of Kampung Jaya Baru and a separate seizure of a pump boat found near the same area. A 25-year-old local skipper and two foreign crew members, aged 43 and 57, were detained for further investigation. The total value of the vessel and catch is estimated at RM115,000, while the pump boat seizure is valued at RM7,000. Both cases are being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985, with vessels, detained crew, and seized items taken to the Lahad Datu Fisheries Jetty for processing.