Eight crew members from two Indonesian fishing vessels, intercepted last month have been convicted in the Darwin Local Court for offences under the Fisheries Management Act 1991.
The illegal fishermen were from vessels suspected of fishing illegally in Australian waters intercepted off the north coast of Western Australia. All entered pleas of guilty to the charges and were fined a total of $24,300.
The vessels were intercepted and boarded by ABF and Australian Navy, through Maritime Border Command (MBC), and under Operation Jawline 13, a joint operation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
AFMA’s CEO Wez Norris, emphasised that illegal foreign fishing poses a threat to the sustainability of Australia’s well-managed Commonwealth fish resources and marine ecosystems, and it is important to deter this type of activity.
‘While these direct enforcement actions are important, we also continue to work closely with Indonesia to address the issue at its source through the distribution of educational material, targeted social media campaigns and face-to-face visits with Indonesian fishers in key ports,’ he said.
In addition to fines, the vessels were seized and destroyed at sea.
