Six Indonesian fishermen have pleaded guilty to fishing illegally in Australian waters at Darwin Local Court. The charges follow the location and apprehension of an Indonesian fishing vessel on 21st August 2026 by Australian authorities.
The vessel was reported by local community members after being sighted near Little Adolphus Island in the Torres Strait, Queensland. ABF responded and found the vessel taking on water. Six crew were on board along with fishing equipment and approximately 700kg of salt, used to preserve sea cucumber.
The crew were detained and transported to Darwin for further investigation by AFMA. All six crew members were charged and subsequently pleaded guilty at Darwin Local Court.
For the current matter, the Court imposed two-year good behaviour bonds for all six crew members, including the skipper.
Three crew were identified as having appeared before the court previously for similar offending. Two of these accused were found to have breached existing good behaviour bonds and were re-sentenced to one-month terms of imprisonment, suspended immediately. The other was subject to an outstanding warrant for an unpaid fine, and he is now serving 16-day period imprisonment for that matter.
While no catch was found on board the vessel, the Court emphasised that penalties remained necessary to reflect the seriousness of unlawful fishing activity in Australian waters and to deter future offending.
‘The ABF have the capability to detect and stop illegal fishing activity through a layered approach including aerial surveillance, patrol vessels, land patrols and intelligence operations. Those responsible can expect to face enforcement action under Australian law,’ said Deputy Commander Maritime Border Command Natasha O’Farrell.
‘Local communities continue to play a critical role as the eyes and ears of the region and the information they provide is an important part of protecting the Torres Strait.’
