| Siti Hajar & Hakim Hayat |
ILLEGAL fishing as well as human and contraband smuggling are main issues that have been encountered by the country’s enforcement agencies, Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Major General Dato Paduka Seri Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), said yesterday.
Speaking on the sidelines of yesterday’s visit by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the RBAF, to the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) exercise at the naval base and Brunei waters, he said the country has had its fair share of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities with the use of explosives within the Sultanate’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
He assured that “we are still able to take action” against illegal fishermen with a number of them brought to court.
An international report described IUU fishing as a contributing factor to the depletion of fish stocks with the use of explosives severely damaging corals that can in turn affect the habitats of marine wildlife whilst at the same time taking a toll on the incomes of local fishermen.
Naval officers onboard KDB Daruttaqwa. – PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR
The country’s participation and organisation of this year’s ADMM-Plus exercise that focuses on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism will improve the RBAF’s response to such threats.
“We know that maritime areas are very critical seeing that they are our lifeline, where most economic activities transition, for oil and gas to pass through and for the sustainability of the fishing industry,” he said.
The country’s military is also in the midst of preparations to face the possibility of maritime piracy and terrorism that have plagued neighbouring states.
While acknowledging the absence of these incidents in Brunei, he said that complacency is not an option. He noted that these criminal acts can happen anywhere.
The RBAF will also continue to work alongside its allies within the region and beyond to ensure the security of maritime areas.
He also said that Brunei has yet to make a decision on a proposal tabled by Malaysia whose defence minister last month lobbied Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia for a quadrilateral joint patrol and surveillance of the Sulu Sea.
The proposal is aimed at tackling kidnapping cases in the area which not only affect Malaysia but also neighbouring states.
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