3 tonnes of endangered marine species seized at sea

 

Kudat MMEA director Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne said the two boats contained an illicit cargo valued at an estimated RM1.5 million. (MMEA pic)

KUDAT: More than three tonnes of endangered fish and other marine species have been seized by the coastguard when officers boarded two fishing boats in the waters of Mengayau, near here, on Wednesday.

Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne, Kudat director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the boats were spotted at about 12.35pm.

One boat contained 1.3 tonnes of dried giant clams, 630kg of puffer fish, 865kg of dried turtles, and 6kg of seahorse, shark fins and frozen Napoleon fish.

The second boat had 375kg of dried puffer fish and 100kg of dried giant clams.

He said the items seized had a total value of about RM1.5 million.

“Two Filipinos and an Indonesian, ages 37 to 52, were found in the first boat, while the second boat was manned by two locals, ages 50 and 57, and a 45-year-old Filipino.

He urged the maritime community to report any misconduct or criminal activity at sea. -FMT