Sri Lankan vessel fined MVR 400,000 for illegal fishing in Maldivian waters

Civil Court has fined a Sri Lankan fishing vessel MVR 400,000 for illegally fishing in Maldivian waters.

The vessel, Anuska Deshan, was intercepted in 2022 by Coast Guard ship Huravee, 79 nautical miles east of Meemu Atoll Muli. The state filed a civil suit the same year on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries under the Maldives Fisheries Act.

Prosecutors sought both a fine and confiscation of the vessel. However, in its ruling on Sunday, the Civil Court determined there was no legal or judicial basis to seize the ship. The fine must be paid within 14 days.

The vessel’s owner, Ranjit Prekumara Silva, did not appear in court, and the case was decided in absentia.

The vessel’s owner, Ranjit Prekumara Silva, did not appear in court, and the case was decided in absentia.