As per the figure available from the federal government agency it is found the number of illegal fishing boats being caught in Australian waters has plummeted and so the patrols. It is said that increased border patrols have made it too risky for businessmen bankrolling the illegal fishing. For fishermen this is disaster and an industry expert says the fishermen may turn to people smuggling to survive.
It is found that the Defence Department and the Fisheries Management Authority used to catch hundreds of foreign boats a year, but say they have only apprehended about 30 since June. According to the Defence instead of making big trips into Australian waters, boats are clustering along Australia’s boundary and making shallow incursions.
Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone has few foreign boats since a long time and that fish stocks are improving, said fishermen who trawl the zone frequently. Long time industry watcher and Australian National University Professor Jim Fox says increased border patrols have made it too risky for the businessmen bankrolling the illegal fishing.
He also told that while the big players can take their money elsewhere, the fishermen may turn to people smuggling to survive. He added that these fishermen are actually very skilled. They know the seas between Australia and Indonesia, and those skills they are going to try to put to work.
Fishermen now are tempted to smuggle people. Official record shows there have been more than 20 successful prosecutions. People have been jailed for five or six years for such behaviour. He says those jail terms should deter fishermen from taking jobs as people smugglers.
