Australian Officers Catch and Dispose of Two Indonesian Fishing Boats

 

The Australian Border Force has been searching for illegal Indonesian fishing operators for months, and continues to net new catches. Last weekend, ABF officers intercepted two boats off the Northern Territory, destroyed the craft and arrested eight fishermen, adding to a growing tally.

On Friday, ABF officers caught a vessel fishing illegally near the Cobourg Peninsula, a remote and wild stretch of coastline in the sparsely-inhabited Northern Territory. On boarding, the officers found three shark fins and 500 kilos of sea cucumber, along with fishing equipment. The catch and the suspects were seized, and the boat was "disposed of at sea."

On Saturday, another patrol found an Indonesian boat fishing illegally in the same region. Five crewmembers were aboard, along with equipment and 1600 kilos of sea cucumber, a valuable delicacy in East Asia. The vessel was disposed of and the crewmembers were arrested. All were delivered to Darwin to face charges. 

All told, the 2.1 tonne haul of sea cucumber would have brought these fishermen an estimated US$140,000, illustrating the motive for foreign operators to take risks in Australian waters, according to ABF. 

Fishing offenses result in criminal charges in Australia, and often end in guilty pleas. On August 5, 11 more Indonesian nationals pleaded guilty to charges of illegal fishing at Darwin Local Court. The charges stemmed from two separate vessel arrests. In the first, the crew had no fish aboard, but were in possession of salt (for preservation) and a 300-meter longline. The master was fined AUD$6,000, and the rest received smaller penalties. In the second, the crew was caught with 66 shark fins, and one crewmember turned out to have an outstanding warrant - resulting in steep fines. Nonpayment often results in imprisonment, followed by deportation.