Foreign fishers apprehended for illegally fishing inside the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) last month have been found guilty at a recent hearing in Darwin.
The fishers were found guilty after the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), in partnership with the Department of the Environment, conducted an investigation resulting in the successful convictions of the master and a crew member of the Indonesian fishing vessel, Lima Saudara, for offences under fisheries and environmental legislation.
John Davis, senior manager compliance operations, AFMA, said: “AFMA officers work together with other Commonwealth regulators to protect our marine resources from those who seek to violate them. If you do the wrong thing, you will be caught and face the full force of the law.”
He added that it is imperative that the strict rules and regulations the country has in place are followed to ensure a healthy supply of Australian seafood for current and future generations.
In addition to fines meted out which totalled AUS$3600, the fishing vessel was also seized and destroyed at AFMA’s destruction facility in Darwin.
Lima Saudara was apprehended on 10 October 2015 after being intercepted approximately 120 nautical miles off north Western Australia. At the time of apprehension the vessel had approximately 60 shark fins and 70 kilogrammes of fish onboard.
AFMA and Navy officers also retrieved a longline with more than 70 baited hooks in the water.
An offence under Australia’s environmental legislation was also identified after the investigation revealed the bait on the hooks was meat from a melon headed whale.
