Sixteen Vietnamese fishermen were fined a total of RM2 million for illegal fishing.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus meted out the sentence to the Vietnamese who pleaded guilty to the charge against them, on Wednesday.
The sixteen were found fishing without any permit inside a fishing vessel at 1.10pm on Aug 13 this year in Pulau Kalampunian, Kudat.
The Vietnamese were charged under Section 15(1) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25(a) of the same Act read together under Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a fine of up to RM6 million for the skipper, and RM600,000 for each crew of the vessel, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen from Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the grounds that the illegal fishing committed by foreign fishermen had affected the sea resources and livelihood of the local fishermen, especially in Sabah.