Australian Border Force boats on patrol off Cape York. Photo: ABF
Illegal Indonesian fishing boats are the target of a new multi-agency maritime border campaign announced today.
And land patrols will be increased in remote areas, and Aboriginal communities, to boost surveillance of the northern coastline.
Operation Lunar will be led by Australian Border Force as it cracks down on fishing poachers in Australian waters.
The ABF says the operation will comprise of aerial, land and maritime patrols involving the Australian Defence Force (ADF), ABF and Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
The announcement follows a NT call for more federal action to stop the boats.
Click on the following for this earlier story: NT calls for more to be done to stop fishing poachers – NewsCop
As of December 3, the ABF and AFMA say they intercepted 156 boats and successfully prosecuted 83 foreign fishers this financial year.
ABF’s Maritime Border Command commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter says their proactive, intelligence-led, risk-based approach was achieving results.
“We are absolutely committed to protecting our vulnerable marine resources and delicate ecosystems through the targeting of illegal foreign fishing in Australian waters,” he said.
“Illegal foreign fishers will not be tolerated in Australian waters and my message to them is clear: you will be found, and we will intercept you.
“You will lose your catch, your equipment, potentially your vessel, and you may be arrested and prosecuted under Australian law,” he warned.
Rear Admiral Sonter said that an important part of Operation Lunar involved the expansion of land patrols and surveillance.
This will work closely with federal and territory agencies and communities in the NT, particularly in Aboriginal communities.
“I cannot emphasise enough how important local knowledge and observations of First Nations communities is in the NT, in terms our informing our work to detect foreign fishing vessels across more than 10,000km of vast coastline,” Rear Admiral Sonter says.
Anyone with information about suspicious activity is urged to contact Border Watch.
Information can be provided anonymously, the ABF says.
