Papua New Guinean (PNG) nationals have been returned to PNG after they were found in the Torres Strait with a catch of mud crabs suspected to have been taken illegally from Australian waters near Saibai Island, according to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Australian Border Force.
Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency taskforce within the Australian Border Force (ABF), sighted a banana boat and dinghy near Saibai Island during a routine helicopter patrol.
Working alongside the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), MBC tasked HMAS Wollongong to respond and intercept the vessels.
MBC officers boarded the vessels 1.50 nautical miles inside Australian waters and located 20 live mud crabs, 50 dead mud crabs, ten kilograms of trevally, bream, shark and approximately six kilograms of yams on board the banana boat. The catch was returned to the water.
The crew were taken aboard HMAS Wollongong and handed over to PNG authorities on 24th May 2018. Under the terms of the Torres Strait Treaty, PNG nationals suspected of fishing illegally in Australian waters are repatriated to PNG for processing and possible prosecution.
Due to poor weather conditions, the banana boat lost at sea. The dinghy was seized and will be transferred to AFMA for custody.
“The crew have been repatriated to PNG under the Torres Strait Treaty for processing and investigation by PNG authorities and are likely to be brought before the Daru District court for mention in July 2018,” said AFMA’s General Manager of Fisheries Operations, Peter Venslovas.
