Six Indonesian illegal fishermen faced Darwin Local Court last week where they pleaded guilty to offences of attempting to steal a haul of trochus shell (sea snail).
The crew received a range of immediate jail sentences and fines. The master incurred an A$6000 fine and two repeat offenders received the harshest consequences of immediate jail time along with fines of $3500 each. The other three crew received fines of $2000.
The vessel was destroyed at sea after being apprehended on 27 April 2017 in Australian waters near Browse Island in the Timor Sea by Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency task force within the Australian Border Force (ABF), and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
‘Australia’s fisheries are very well managed, we have strict rules and regulations in place with decisions based on the best available science to protect stocks and ensure their sustainability, Australia’s premium fisheries are a target for illegal foreign operators,’ said AFMA’s General Manager of Operations, Peter Venslovas.
‘Our whole-of-government approach, including in-country capacity building, is proving to be a strong deterrent for those seeking to take advantage of Australia’s fisheries. There have only been 15 apprehensions in Australian waters since 1 July 2016, significantly down from the hundreds caught in the mid-2000s.’
