IUU mothership Tiantai – photo courtesy of Custom and Border Protection Service surveillance aircraft
Following the successful interception of the illegal foreign fishing vessel, Thunder, in April 2013 where Malaysia and Indonesia thwarted attempts by the vessel to offload millions of dollars’ worth of illegal catch, Malaysia has again blocked a suspect vessel from entering its ports for unloading and refuelling. Alerted to the imminent arrival of the IUU mothership, Tiantai, by AFMA, Malaysia took action to intercept it.
Malaysian authorities have since inspected and detained the vessel pending further investigations, effectively putting a stop to its IUU endeavours and leaving other IUU vessels out at sea without the support of their mothership.
Malaysia’s actions are commendable and the collaboration demonstrated by countries across the south east Asian region in the past 12 months is sending a clear message to illegal operators that their vessels are not welcome.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing commits countries who sign it to put in place effective ways to eliminate IUU fishing. Australia signed the Agreement in 2010.
Australia is not a large port state but still has a role to play in sharing information with our neighbours to help them in strengthening their port State controls. AFMA has also helped provide one-on-one training and regional workshops to several south-east Asian countries to strengthen their monitoring, control and surveillance systems.
Since 2007, this network of countries including Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, have been sharing, monitoring and inspecting information and denying port services to vessels suspected of involvement in IUU fishing. The strategy of targeting ports has proven effective in disrupting IUU operations and makes it increasingly difficult for these operators to get illegal catch into markets and onto dinner plates.
For more information, contact Kerry Smith, Senior Manager Foreign Compliance on 02 6225 5334 or Kerry.smith@afma.gov.au.