Australia is ratcheting up enforcement operations against illegal foreign fishing vessels off the nation's remote western and northern coastlines, and its on-the-water busts are yielding prison sentences in short order.
Last week, 16 Indonesian fishermen pleaded guilty to illegal fishing charges at a court in the port city of Darwin. The individuals were captured in two separate interdictions earlier this month.
The first intercept occurred on December 3 in Kimberley Marine Park, a reserve off Western Australia. The Australian Border Force arrested the vessel's nine crewmembers, confiscated their equipment and sank their boat at sea.
The vessel's master had been caught and found guilty for illegal fishing offenses in Australia before, and he was sentenced to three months in prison. A second crewmember with a prior conviction received the same prison term, and the rest of the crew were given two years of probation backed up with a $2,000 undertaking.
The second interdiction occurred December 9 off the coast of Oxley Island in Australia's Northern Territory. As before, the seven members of the crew were arrested, their gear confiscated and their boat destroyed. The master was fined AU$5,000, and the crew received three years of probation.
All those not imprisoned will be deported promptly to Indonesia.
The cases bring the total number of Indonesian illegal-fishing prosecutions at Darwin to 99 since July, reflecting the increased operational tempo of authorities' enforcement activities.
“Our message is clear: we have zero tolerance for illegal activity in Australian waters," said Commander Maritime Border Command, Rear Admiral Brett Sonter. "Those who engage in this activity risk losing everything – from their catch and equipment to their vessels and liberty."
