KUALA LUMPUR: Maritime officers are to investigate reports of Malaysian fishermen being harassed by Indonesia in Malaysian waters.

Maritime Operations chief, Capt Mohd Rosli Abdullah said the coast guard had received reports that three fishing boats had been seized by Indonesian authorities while they were in Selangor waters.

“We view this allegation seriously. We will study the report in detail to ascertain the truth because it involves Malaysia-Indonesia relations and the issue of national sovereignty,” he told Bernama on Saturday.

The Maritime Enforcement Agency, which is Malaysia’s coastguard, would also step up patrols to ensure the safety of fishermen and merchant ships passing through the Straits of Malacca.

In Perak, a government official has asked that a Maritime monitoring centre be set up in Kuala Sungai Burung, Perak, to deal with intrusion by dragnet trawlers in the waters of Tanjung Senka Piandang, Kuala Kurau.

Yaacob Md Sam, chairman of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, said Maritime should increase the number of personnel and security posts and provide adequate equipment for on-the-spot patrols.

Maritime, Fisheries and Marine Police should conduct frequent joint patrols to thwart intrusions by trawlers, which were a threat to marine life and could damage the catches and income of coastal fishermen, he said in a statement.

He said licenses for dragnet trawlers should not be renewed and he called for amendments to be made to the Fisheries Act.

Maritime should also update its procedures to protect the identify of complainants.

The issue of intrusion by dragnet trawlers has occurred since 2007, Bernama reported.

Resource : Free Malaysia Today