A cooperative treaty between Australia and France has been signed to protect fisheries resources in the Southern Ocean.
The treaty was signed in Paris by Australian Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz and French Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Dominique Bussereau.
“The agreement will consolidate the strong cooperative relationship between Australia and France in our respective waters in the Southern Ocean,” Senator Abetz said.
“The Australian Government is very pleased with the regular cooperative patrols with France in the Southern Ocean under the Australia-France Surveillance Treaty, since 1 February 2005.
“Most French patrols now have Australian fisheries and Customs officers on board and we carry French officials on the Australian patrol vessel, Oceanic Viking.
“This new treaty provides for substantial cooperative enforcement benefits for both countries. For example, the Agreement will allow French officers on an Australian patrol vessel to apprehend an alleged illegal fishing vessel in the French territory’s Exclusive Economic Zone.”
The treaty applies in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Australian and French Southern Ocean territories. It formalises cooperative enforcement by joint patrols in this region against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels.
The Surveillance and the Enforcement Treaties allow for continuous coverage of the Australian and French EEZs and permit wider surveillance operations in the surrounding waters managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, of which both Australia and France are Members.
The Treaties are part of the Australian Government’s efforts to combat IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean. These efforts are funded by a five year allocation of $217.2 million for Southern Ocean patrols.
