Fisheries Still Catching Illegal Fishers

Tutong - Officials from the Department of Fisheries yesterday conducted another operation to enforce the restriction of illegal fishing activity at restricted areas.

Some fishermen were caught ignoring the warnings from the authorities not to carry out their fishing activities in red tide affected areas.

The Fisheries Department continues to warn the fishermen and to enforce the restriction of harvesting fish at 500 meters from the offshore oil field installations.

This is inline with the Fisheries Department act under the Merchant Shipping Order 2002 and Chapter 61 of the Fisheries Act.

The Fisheries Department carried out its operation at Kuala Tutong to monitor the fishing activities within the area.

The operation involved four docking areas owned by the companies registered at the Fisheries Department.

The operation was also aimed at ensuring the companies to abide by the rules and regulations of the Labor and Immigration Department by not engaging foreign workers.

In the Tutong District, 40 fishermen with full-time licence were registered at the Fisheries Department while 181 were issued with part-time license.

The occurrence of the red tide would not hinder the fishermen from carrying out their fishing activities. Fishing is the source of their daily earning.

So far, they were not forced to stop their activities but the Department of Fisheries advised them not to sale fish that were listed unsafe for public consumption during the existence of the red tide phenomenon.

Yesterday morning's operation also involved personnel from the Royal Brunei Police Forces, the Immigration Department, the Labour and Internal Security Department. None of the fishermen were found to disobey the country's law and regulation. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei 

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