Australia and the Republic of South Africa have signed a Letter of Intent on future cooperative surveillance and enforcement in fisheries in their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Southern Ocean.
Australian Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz, and South African Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, signed the Letter of Intent yesterday in Canberra.
“Signing this Letter of Intent shows our commitment to a productive working relationship with South Africa to combat illegal fishing in the waters around our respective territories in the Southern Ocean,” Senator Abetz said.
“It's also further evidence of Australia's ongoing commitment to close the international net around Southern Ocean toothfish poachers.
“We are also working with South Africa to develop a treaty formalising the structures and the legal basis that will allow cooperative surveillance, and which will permit enforcement of Australian and South African fisheries laws in our respective Southern Ocean EEZs.
“While surveillance and enforcement, under the future treaty, will need to be opportunistic because of the substantial distance between Australia's Heard Island and McDonald Island EEZs and South Africa's Prince Edward Island EEZ in the Southern Ocean, co-operative agreements such as this one send an important message of international unity against the scourge of illegal fishing.”
The treaty will further enhance regional compliance capacity in the Southern Ocean and complement the bilateral Australia-France cooperative fisheries surveillance and enforcement treaties already supporting successful cooperation in the Southern Ocean.
“The Australian Government is very pleased with the strong level of cooperation against illegal fishing with South Africa and other States in the Southern Ocean,” Senator Abetz said.
“Effectively combating illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean requires regional cooperation which allows for more coordinated and continuous on-the-water monitoring and enforcement.
“The Australian Government looks forward to finalising this treaty on cooperative fisheries surveillance and enforcement with South Africa as soon as possible.”
