Two Indonesian fishing vessels suspected of engaging in illegal “blast fishing” – using explosives to stun and catch fish – have been apprehended off Broome and the Tiwi Islands.
Found aboard the vessels were quantities of detonator cord and explosives, and a significant haul of fresh and dried fish, sea cucumbers, sea snails and shark flesh and fins.
Darwin Border Protection Command (BPC) manager David Ollerton said illegal foreign fishing was a serious international maritime issue and BPC and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) were committed to stamping it out in Australian waters, safeguarding the environment and natural resources.
“We are successfully deterring this threat. Apprehensions in Australia’s waters have fallen from 367 vessels and 2961 illegal foreign fishers in 2005-06 to just 12 vessels and 68 fishers in 2011-2012,” he said in a statement.
AFMA general manager of operations Peter Venslovas said these latest apprehensions showed that cooperation between Australian and Indonesia ware yielding results in combating illegal fishing.
“Blast fishing is highly destructive to the marine environment and any suspected blast fishing will be dealt with seriously,” he said in a statement.
In the first bust, Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Roebuck Bay, operating under the control of BPC, apprehended the vessel and 10 Indonesian fishers at Scott Reef off Broome on Thursday.
Explosives and more than 320 kilograms of fish were found aboard the vessel. Other suspected blasting devices were found in the water directly beneath the vessel.
In the second bust also on Thursday, ACV Botany Bay, operating as part of a joint border patrol with Indonesian authorities, apprehended a second foreign fishing vessel near Evans Shoal, north of the Tiwi Islands. Aboard were 10 Indonesian fishermen, explosive detonators and 200 kilograms of fish, mainly Red Snapper.
The vessel apprehended at Scott Reef will be escorted to Broome while the vessel apprehended near Tiwi Islands will be taken to Darwin.
AFMA will further investigate the activities of these vessels.
The Australian