Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture has issued fines to two foreign vessels that were caught illegally fishing in Maldivian waters. The Coast Guard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) caught the two Sri Lankan vessels on August 13.
The fisheries ministry issued a USD39,000 fine to one of the vessels for trespassing and illegal fishing. The vessel had three tonnes of fish when it was captured. The second vessel was fined USD6,500 for trespassing. It had not been carrying any fish when it was captured.
The ministry allowed the owners and masters of the vessels to respond via video conferencing and released the vessels after they paid the fines in accordance with the regulations. Article 80 of the Fisheries Act of the Maldives grants the accused the right to respond to accusations.
Meanwhile, the ministry is working to seize four other foreign vessels for failure to pay the fines.