Australian authorities have set fire to three Indonesian vessels caught illegally entering and fishing off the waters of the Kangaroo Country.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) has released a series of photos showing small, colorful boats on fire at sea level after a three-day patrol near Rowley Shoals Marine Park, off the northern coast of Western Australia.
The patrol came after the ABF received a report from a local boat tour operator that said dozens of foreign vessels were sailing in the waters. They worry about the risk of piracy.
In addition to destroying three Indonesian vessels, the ABF also expelled 13 other Indonesian fishing vessels out of Australian waters.
“Our weekend was quite busy as we found 16 vessels fishing illegally and responded together with WA Fisheries,” Australian Maritime Border Command, Rear Admiral Mark Hill, was quoted as saying by ABC Australia.
“This shows the determination that we must fight illegal fishing, not only in the Rowley Shoals area, but throughout the north of the country,” he added.
The ABF also confiscated hundreds of kilograms of fishing equipment and catches from these vessels. About 630 kilograms of sea cucumbers were also seized from the ships.
Admiral Hill said the Indonesian fishermen did not appear surprised by the arrests.
“They’ve gotten used to it because unfortunately we’ve seen some recidivists (fishers who have been caught). In general the fishermen are quite obedient, they’re not aggressive and they do what we ask,” Hill said.
Not a single fisherman was arrested or prosecuted in the incident although Australian authorities have resorted to this before.
Admiral Hill argued that the increase in illegal fishing in Australian waters was driven by economic factors in Indonesia.
He claimed that law enforcement by the Australian authorities remained maximal even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hill said officers were still boarding illegal ships that were caught when needed while still using PPE to minimize the risk of transmitting Covid-19.
Grant Barker, director of Northern Wildcatch Seafood Australia, said he was concerned about the increasing number of illegal fishing vessels for some time.
“We have five vessels operating in that fishery, so we interact with illegal fishermen quite often,” Barker said.
“We spend a considerable amount of time working with the Border Force, AFMA [Australian Fisheries Management Authority] and WA Fisheries, trying to keep a close eye on them (illegal vessels),” he added. (red)
