Foreign trawlers slip into Malaysia waters at night, steal fish, and leave by dawn. Local fishermen say the incursions are a recurring problem off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where the South China Sea separates Malaysia from Vietnam by just hundreds of kilometres. Alias Yahya, who sits on the board of the Terengganu fishermen’s group Penentu, said members have reported the poachers working near Pulau Redang and Pulau Bidong before disappearing before sunrise. The security gaps threaten Malaysia’s ambition to grow its blue economy, as illegal fishing undermines local livelihoods and marine resources.

📡 South China Morning Post (SCMP) · 1 min read ·
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Foreign trawlers slip into Malaysia waters at night, steal fish, and leave by dawn. Local fishermen say the incursions are a recurring problem off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where the South China Sea separates Malaysia from Vietnam by just hundreds of kilometres. Alias Yahya, who sits on the board of the Terengganu fishermen’s group Penentu, said members have reported the poachers working near Pulau Redang and Pulau Bidong before disappearing before sunrise. The security gaps threaten Malaysia’s ambition to grow its blue economy, as illegal fishing undermines local livelihoods and marine resources.