Nine Vietnamese fishermen face charges for illegal fishing

NINE Vietnamese fishermen will appear at the Magistrate's Court today to face charges of illegal fishing in Brunei waters after their boat was detained by Marine Police on January 20.

The crew from the central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh was apprehended in their vessel while fishing for ocean tuna.

A spokesperson for the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) yesterday confirmed that the nine men, identified as Le Van Han, 42, Vo Cao Nam, 17, Tran Ku, 39, Truong Anh Dung, 43, Tran Nhu Hoai, 23, Vo Thanh That, 32, Nguyen Van Phu, 34, Vo Hoi, 43, and Vo Du Rin, 22, are being held at the Bandar Seri Begawan Police Station pending their court date.

According to the online portal of Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry told its embassy in Brunei to take all necessary measures to protect the detainees' rights and interests.

The newspaper also reported that the ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Brunei Embassy in Hanoi, requesting that Brunei authorities handle the case swiftly and set the fisherman free.

The families of the nine fishermen have appealed to the Vietnamese authorities to secure their release and bring them home as soon as possible.

Cases of foreign fishermen encroaching Brunei's 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are not uncommon as many have been arrested by local authorities and brought to court.

If found guilty of illegal fishing, the owner and master of a ship may face a fine of up to $100,000 and a maximum prison term of five years, or both. Meanwhile, each member of the crew can be fined up to $2,500 and jailed for up to a year.

The Fisheries Order states that no foreign vessel can be used for conducting any research or survey in Brunei Darussalam's territory unless it is authorised to do so under any international fishery agreement between the governments of both countries. The Brunei Times