Fadley Faisal
The Magistrate’s Court recently imposed fines on two local fishermen for violating the Merchant Shipping Order, for fishing within an oilfield safety zone.
Magistrate Harnita Zelda Skinner ordered vessel master Haji Amdi bin Haji Tuah, 44, to settle a BND5,000 fine or serve five months’ jail in default of payment, while crew member L/Cpl 4088 Mohamed Rifa’e bin Haji Johari was imposed a BND4,000 fine or serve four months’ jail in default.
DPP Adli Haji Mohd Zaidi revealed that the duo violated the order by fishing within the perimeters of the safety zone of Champion Shoal Oilfield using their Brunei-registered fibreglass boat. The court heard that a joint enforcement agencies’ maritime patrol team had spotted the pair 1.38 kilometres from the eastern border of the oilfield at 10.45am on November 10, 2021.
The team issued an order to the pair before escorting the boat back to the Marine Police headquarters. An inspection of the boat turned up a 10-kilogramme catch of fish and squid, along with fishing equipment.
