EAIC: Penang DOF Committed To Improving Effectiveness Of MCS Management Enforcement
GEORGE TOWN, June 16 (Bernama) -- The Penang Department of Fisheries (DOF) will enhance monitoring aspects, standard operating procedures (SOP), and the effectiveness of MCS (Monitoring, Control & Surveillance) enforcement in the state's waters following recommendations from the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) regarding the issue of trawler incursions from Zone B to Zone A.
Its director, Zarina Zainuddin, said her department acknowledges and takes the feedback seriously, and therefore several steps have been, are being, and will continue to be taken to address the issue.
"This includes increasing the frequency of monitoring visits by management to enforcement bases to ensure tasks are carried out according to SOP and standing instructions, with two surprise inspections conducted on April 22 and July 26, 2024.
"Additionally, periodic inspections are also conducted from time to time to ensure staff attendance, adherence to work ethics, and the execution of duties according to the Captain Order guidelines," she said in a statement today.
She explained that internal audits of the Enforcement Log Management are also conducted continuously to ensure daily records are maintained according to regulations, along with improvements to the record-keeping system to enhance the transparency and orderliness of operational information.
Additionally, Zarina said that her department also organised comprehensive SOP reinforcement courses and training involving all enforcement officers, in line with EAIC's recommendations to ensure understanding and compliance with regulations are continuously improved.
"The review of the SOP regarding the acceptance of complaints accompanied by video evidence has been implemented to expedite and streamline the investigation process. The Penang DOF is now filing police reports and opening investigation papers for each complaint related to violations of the Fisheries Act 1985, specifically involving the encroachment of trawlers into Zone A.
"Throughout last year, the Penang DOF received seven video-recorded complaints regarding the encroachment of fishing areas by trawler boats in Zones B1 and C. As a result, 13 trawlers were investigated, and enforcement actions were taken, including the issuance of fines amounting to RM6,000 fines and court charges," she said.
She also said that the DOG detained seven tugboats in Zone C, with a total fine and fish auction proceeds amounting to RM41,200, while further actions such as the suspension of Vessel Licenses and Fishing Licences for one year, complete equipment seizure, a five-year prohibition on vessel transfer, and court charges have been carried out.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
WhatsApp to the rescue: Lost teens found after sharing location with Bomba
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Two teenagers who got lost in the forest while hiking at Bukit Cherok Tok Kun, famed for its big buttress trees in Penang, here Saturday (June 21) were swiftly rescued by the Fire and Rescue Department, thanks to a handy smartphone. Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director John Sagun Francis said the victims shared their location with his team via WhatsApp at 1.16pm. "A team from the Bukit Mertajam Fire and Rescue Station was deployed to the location, where five personnel were involved in the search and rescue operation for the teenagers, with the assistance of the public. "The two 18-year-olds were found and brought down safely, with the operation ending at 4.14pm," he said in a statement, adding that the victims had been handed over to their guardians. - Bernama
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Retired teacher, senior citizen lose RM352,000 to scams
JOHOR BARU: Police are investigating two commercial crime crises that cost a retired teacher and a senior citizen more than RM352,000 in total losses. Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said the first case involved a 60-year-old retired teacher who lost RM243,975 in an investment scam advertised on social media. Lured by a promised 560 per cent return within three months, the victim joined a WhatsApp group and was instructed to download an application purportedly linked to the investment. Between April 28 and June 19, the victim made seven online and over-the-counter bank transfers totalling RM255,100 into two bank accounts. She received RM11,125 in returns, resulting in a net loss of nearly a quarter million ringgit. "Checks revealed 17 prior fraud reports linked to the bank accounts used," Raub said in a statement today. In the second case, a senior citizen lost RM108,959 after he received a phone call from a man claiming to be a bank officer. The caller claimed the victim's credit card had been misused on an e-commerce online platform and convinced him to perform several "verification" transactions, which included transferring RM8,989 from his wife's credit card to the suspect's TNG eWallet. He was also instructed to transfer RM99,970 via DuitNow from his bank account. Raub said the suspect became unreachable once the transactions were completed. Checks showed the phone number had been linked to two similar fraud cases. He urged the public to be wary of investment offers on digital platforms and not to trust promises of unrealistic returns. He also advised verifying suspicious calls through official bank channels and reporting scams immediately to the National Scam Response Centre at 997, which can help block suspect accounts and stop fund transfers.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Klang fatal shooting: "I thought it was a crow-shooting operation", says shop owner
KLANG: The daily routine of the community in Taman Meru Utama came to a standstill when the peace was shattered by the sound of gunfire in front of a motorcycle shop that claimed the life of a local man on Friday (June 20). At the time of the incident, a retail shop owner, a woman who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the shooting happened so quickly that it was difficult for the public to ascertain where several gunshots - heard at about 3.20pm - were coming from. "I was tying flowers to make a garland when I heard an explosion like firecrackers, then I looked towards a motorcycle shop which was just 20m away and saw several individuals, including the motorcycle shop workers, running towards my store. "I thought it was a crow-shooting operation but that hasn't been staged here for a long time since many trees have been cut down (where crows perch), … then I realised someone has been shot and killed in a vehicle right in front of the motorcycle shop,' she told Bernama here on Saturday (June 21). The woman in her 50s also said that this was the first incident of its kind to occur near Taman Meru Utama in the five years she and her family have been running a grocery and food business. On Friday, North Klang police chief ACP S Vijaya Rao confirmed that a 46-year-old local man had died from gunshot wounds in a four-wheel drive pickup truck, with a post-mortem scheduled for 9am today. When contacted today, Vijaya Rao said police were investigating possible secret society elements in the case. He said several individuals had so far been called in to have their statements recorded. "Preliminary investigations found that the victim, who was self-employed, was accompanying his friend who wanted to buy a second-hand motorcycle at the shop. "He was believed to have been shot at close range, and a post-mortem is still ongoing,' he said, adding that the police were also reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the surrounding area. The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.- Bernama
