Two fishing vessels with Indonesian crews intercepted off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory have gone up in smoke, and the crews will face court appearances.
Twelve crew members are in custody in Darwn and 1200kg of sea cucumber worth up to AUD$120,000 was seized from the two boats, which were intercepted after Bawinanga Homelands Aboriginal Corporation’s Djelk Rangers reported a sighting of foreign fishing vessels near Maningrida.
ABF vessels subsequently located and intercepted the vessels near Maningrida and Port Essington.
In consultation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), the two vessels were seized and destroyed at sea in accordance with Australian law.
ABF Operation LUNAR Commander Tracie Griffin expressed her appreciation to the Djelk Rangers for reporting the sighting and encouraged others in the community to continue to report suspicious information.
‘ABF is dedicated to responding to every report of illegal foreign fishing in the Northern Territory,’ Commander Griffin said.
‘These latest interceptions are an exceptional example of the success we are seeing as a result of Operation LUNAR, and we are grateful to the Djelk Rangers for their diligent reporting of this sighting. The unique and detailed knowledge that Indigenous ranger groups and Traditional Owners and custodians possess about country is invaluable in supporting our efforts to protect our borders.’
