Joint media release from Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Australian Border Force
An Indonesian fishing vessel and its crew of eight men were apprehended 175 nautical miles off the coast of Darwin on Wednesday, suspected of illegally fishing in Australian waters.
Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency task force within the Australian Border Force (ABF), working in cooperation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) apprehended the crew and brought them to Darwin.
The vessel was originally sighted by an ABF surveillance aircraft on 15 March 2017. It will be alleged that officers subsequently observed the men fishing and hauling live shark on to the deck of the vessel.
HMAS Pirie intercepted and boarded the vessel at sea. On the recommendation of AFMA, HMAS Pirie attempted to escort the vessel to Darwin for further investigation.
Due to the unfavourable sea conditions and the unseaworthiness of the fishing boat, the vessel began taking on a significant amount of water. Despite the best efforts of ABF officers to assist, the vessel sank overnight.
The Indonesian crew were safely brought aboard HMAS Pirie before being taken to Darwin by HMAS Maitland for processing.
AFMA is investigating for breaches of the Australian Fisheries Management Act 1991.
Commander MBC Rear Admiral Peter Laver said the apprehension was testament to the ongoing commitment from Australian government agencies to protect Australia’s maritime environment and the sustainability of our marine resources.
“Our officers protect Australia’s maritime domain from threats every single day, with surveillance and response capabilities to ensure our fisheries, as an important economic and environment resource, are maintained and protected,” Rear Admiral Laver said.
“It is an example of the dangers that illegal foreign fishers pose, not only to our unique marine environment, but also to themselves and to our officers.”
AFMA’s General Manager Operations, Peter Venslovas, said Australia’s whole-of-government approach is fundamental to combatting and preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Australian waters.
“Illegal fishing undermines the strict rules and regulations in place to ensure the sustainability of Australia’s marine resources,” Mr Venslovas said.
“This apprehension demonstrates the importance of AFMA’s continued collaboration with other Australian authorities, such as ABF, to protect our fisheries from those who seek to do the wrong thing.”