The Australian Coalition is standing strong against illegal fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone following the apprehension of a suspected illegal vessel with 500kg of fish onboard.
Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and Border Protection Command’s (BPC) recent apprehension of the vessel 275 miles west of Darwin highlights the Australian Governments important work to protect marine life and sustainable fisheries industry.
This apprehension comes on the back of the recent seizure of four illegal foreign fishing vessels and prosecution of the crew who had taken large quantities of threatened giant clams, Senator Colbeck explained.
Strong enforcement measures have been the key to combating illegal fishing in the country, which poses potential biosecurity risks and impacts on valuable fisheries and the environments that support them.
The combined effect of Australia’s apprehension and forfeiture of vessels, catch and fishing gear directly impacts on the profitability of illegal fishing operators and is a robust deterrent, Senator Colbeck added.
Regular patrols of Australia’s maritime borders are a strong deterrent to illegal foreign fishers, so much so that activity has decreased significantly from 367 vessels in 2005-06 to seven vessels in 2012-13. During this financial year alone, 21 apprehensions have occurred.
The Australian Government will continue to work with other agencies to tackle illegal fishing activity.
Mercator Media 2014