The opening ceremony of the Maritime Law Enforcement workshop on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
The said workshop was held on January 9, 2023 and is under the cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
The opening ceremony of the workshop was held on KM Arau, one of the large patrol vessels that Japan contributed in 2016 and an excellent symbol of the longstanding bilateral friendship and cooperation between both countries.
Japan and Malaysia are both maritime nations and have been cooperating to maintain maritime safety and security around Malaysia that is vital for international shipping.
Japan has dispatched experts to MMEA through JICA to conduct a variety of technical cooperation projects in the field of maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations and so on since the establishment of MMEA in 2005.
Japan also contributed two large patrol vessels, KM Arau and KM Pekan, to Malaysia in 2016. The two patrol vessels have been playing a vital role in protecting Malaysian waters today.
The cooperation among JICA, JCG and MMEA represents the solid bilateral coast guard relations between Japan and Malaysia.
Under these circumstances, both countries have been considering measures to cope with maritime crimes around Malaysia.
This workshop organized by JICA aims to help MMEA handle IUU fishing which is one of the major challenges which Malaysia faces. It include lectures on international laws and the use of Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) against IUU fishing vessels in cooperation with trainers from JCG.
Furthermore, JICA plans to donate four LRAD to MMEA after the workshop upon completion of necessary procedures. It is expected that the equipment will be utilized for maritime law enforcement activities in the seas around Malaysia.
“This year, 2023, marks the 50th commemorative year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and I hope that this workshop under the cooperation of JICA, JCG and MMEA will further enhance the long-standing bilateral relations between Japan and Malaysia and help us
promote maritime security in the region,” His Excellency Takahashi Katsuhiko, Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia said at the ceremony.
