AA urged to step up fight against illegal fishing in Arakan waters

By Admin 29 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

29 August 2025, Maungdaw

The Arakan Army (AA) coast guard continues to detain Bangladeshi fishermen who encroach by the hundreds into Arakan waters in the Bay of Bengal and Naf River estuary.

Locals say that Bangladeshis have been illegally entering Arakan waters daily since sometime last year.

Arakanese politicians say it is an invasion of territorial waters, taking advantage of the ongoing political instability in Arakan State.

"I see the current problem as an invasion of the territory by Bangladeshi fishermen who are taking advantage of the political instability in Arakan State. Therefore, if the Arakan Army is to do more to improve security and rule of law, it needs to take more specific measures to protect its territorial waters and maritime security," said an Arakanese politician.

He added that the Bangladesh government should also effectively punish illegal fishermen.

AA coast guard forces recently apprehended five fishing boats and more than 30 Bangladeshi nationals for illegally entering Arakan waters, but it also often releases detained fishermen to improve relations with the Bangladeshi government.

In addition to illegal fishing, Bangladeshis have also been known to rob local fishermen at sea in Arakan State, according to local residents.

"Smuggling, piracy and piracy at sea are not new. They have been a problem for Arakanese fishermen for generations. Successive Myanmar governments have never been able to control them in any significant way. Arakanese people have suffered a lot because they were unable to control the sea and protect it," said a social activist in Rathedaung.

The Arakan Army has announced that any person who illegally enters Arakan waters and fishes illegally will be prosecuted, and is continuing to enforce maritime security.

Some locals said they were pleased with the Arakan Army's efforts to hunt down illegal fishermen and enforce law and order at sea.

"The locals are afraid of people from Bangladesh coming to fish and they don't dare to go out much. Even when the locals go out to fish, they only go out close to the shore. The fish are not very plentiful near the shore, so it's not convenient. The Arakan Army is constantly arresting those who catch fish illegally," said a local man from Maungdaw.

The Arakan Army also apprehended four Bangladeshi fishing boats that were illegally fishing in the Naf River estuary in the Bay of Bengal on August 23.