The five Indonesian crew of a boat caught fishing illegally in Australian waters have been convicted and deported. The boat was intercepted near New Year Island.
The vessel along with 50kg of shark fin, 80kg of bait fish and a substantial quantity of fishing equipment were seized. The crew was detained and transported to Darwin, with the vessel destroyed by AFMA at a land-based facility in accordance with Australian biosecurity requirements.
Each of the accused crewmen pleaded guilty and they have been released on $1000 recognisance orders on an undertaking to be of good behaviour for a period of three years. They have since been returned to Indonesia.
Australian authorities are also using other measures to combat illegal fishing at its source, including the delivery of public information campaigns within Indonesian fishing communities, the distribution of educational material, targeted social media campaigns, and proactive engagement.
‘Sharks are an important part of a healthy ecosystem, helping to control the balance of marine species and ensuring ecological stability. Removing sharks from the marine ecosystem threatens the health of our well-managed fisheries,’ said AFMA’s General Manager, Fisheries Operations Justin Bathurst.
‘AFMA and our partner agencies remain focused on identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting illegal fishers. Those caught fishing illegally in Australian waters risk prosecution and as well as seizure and destruction of their vessel.’
