Three Thai fishermen held for fishing in prohibited zone

LUMUT: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Maritime District 3 detained a Malaysian boat with three Thai fishermen at 5.5 nautical miles north-east of Pangkor Island yesterday for having violated conditions of the fishing licence.
Its director, Capt (Maritime) Wan Mat Wan Abdullah, said the boat was detained by maritime vessel Tagau at 5.40pm while on enforcement patrol in Malaysian waters.
The skipper and two crew, in their 40s, were trawling in waters less than 12 nautical miles offshore, which was a prohibited zone for them, without the permission of the Director-General of Fisheries Malaysia, he said in a statement today.
Trawlers and purse seine boats that were owner operated and non-owner operated can only fish in waters between 12 and 30 nautical miles offshore or in the C Zone.
The boat and the three crew were brought to the Kampung Baru jetty, he said. — Bernama