Page 211 - Official Year Book 2019

penalty from RM100,000 to RM600,000 to each crew member. The
Act also allows the Ministry to issue license for offshore fishing, a new
industry being explored for tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean.

CURBING THE INTRUSION OF FOREIGN FISHERMEN
VIA OPS NAGA

Pioneering collaboration between ministries through Operation Naga
which started in April 2019 saw the collaboration of ministries to curb the
intrusion of foreign fishermen on Malaysian waters, which has resulted in a
loss of RM6 billion a year in marine produce.

It also helped save the marine ecosystem from being further damaged
by the illegal activities of foreign fishermen. A total of 211 foreign fishing
boats were detained throughout the operation period. This operation
has brought positive outcome with the amendment of the Fisheries
Act 1985 which was approved by the House of Representatives (Dewan
Rakyat) on 9 July 2019. Under the amended Act, the maximum fine on
owner or captain of foreign vessels that encroach Malaysian waters
is raised from RM1 million to RM6 million, apart from the increased

MALAYSIA BAHARU 2019 Official Year Book 199