KUALA LUMPUR: There were 428 incidents of foreign fishing vessels intruding into the Malaysian waters recorded between 2020 and last year (2023), resulting in estimated losses amounting to RM823.88 million.
Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said the number was recorded by the Fisheries Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the marine police. In 2020, the estimated losses stood at RM225.22 million with 117 cases; RM238.69 million in 2021 (124 cases); RM200.19 million in 2022 (104 cases), and RM159.77 million in 2023 with 83 cases.
"Of the total, the number of seizures made by the ministry, through the Fisheries Department, over the same period stood at 19 cases. "Seven cases in 2020, eight cases in 2021, four cases in 2022 and zero cases last year.
"The breakdown by country saw 18 cases of Vietnamese vessels and one vessel without a flag state," the ministry said in a parliamentary reply to Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan). Wan Razali asked about the total losses due to foreign fishing boat encroachments into the country's waters from 2020 to 2023.
The ministry added; "Invasion by foreign fishermen is a serious issue that can affect the sustainability of local fisheries resources, as well as the livelihood of local fishermen and the country's revenue "The ministry takes seriously the issue of encroachment and illegal fishing activities by foreign vessels at national waters.
"The ministry, through the Fisheries Department, is always working with other enforcement agencies such as the marine police and MMEA to deal with the issue."
