A fishing boat has been destroyed by the Australian authorities at a secure facility in Darwin, after its skipper and one crewman were convicted earlier in August of illegal fishing in Australian waters.
The skipper and one crew member, who has a previous conviction, of the Indonesian fishing boat were fined A$8000 and A$2000 for breaches under the Fisheries Management Act 1991.
Although the skipper of the vessel claimed he was unaware they were in Australian waters, the fishing vessel was confirmed to have been fishing inside the Australian Fishing Zone on seven occasions prior to the apprehension on 19th July at a position approximately 125 nautical miles off north-western Australia.
The investigation into the boat’s activities was carried out by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) following the boat’s arrest by HMAS Broome, which has been tasked by Australian Border Force (ABF) and Maritime Border Command to intercept it. The naval and AFMA boarding party discovered quantities of bait and fresh fish on board.
‘Over the last decade, AFMA in co-operation with other Australian government agencies has worked hard to reduce the number of illegal foreign vessels in Australia’s waters, demonstrating that good surveillance, swift apprehensions and harsh penalties are effective,’ said AFMA general manager of fisheries operations Peter Venslovas.
