The latest study of crime in Australia''s fishing grounds has simply reinforced the need for intensive crackdowns on the theft of stock from inshore waters and out to the 200-mile limit, according to the chair of the Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) Bob Pennington.
The report, Crime in the Australian Fishing Industry, published by the Australian Institute of Criminology, underlined the risk to marine ecosystems and fish stocks from criminal activity.
Mr Pennington made his remarks during the national abalone conference in Hobart, where the issue of theft has emerged as a key issue of concern among delegates.
Latest figures show total exports of Australian abalone into Hong Kong are exceeding the entire (legal) export quota by a significant margin, and in some cases (dried abalone) by an even greater margin. Mr Pennington said the industry was increasingly hopeful that theft was being treated more seriously by Federal, State and Territory Governments.
"We have two clear examples this week [of that response] -- the federal budget injection of another A$300 million (€180m) into surveillance and apprehension, and Victoria's successful raid on 46 restaurants and houses which will lead to charges of alleged abalone trafficking." He said that these strategies to fight illegal fishing were encouraging but not enough.
"The seafood industry cannot and will not tolerate criminal activity, and we welcome increasing levels of support from governments in this immense fight. We will continue to turn the spotlight onto illicit trade in an effort to make Australian waters a 'no-go' zone for would-be criminals," he said.
Measures announced in the Federal Budget are aimed at enhancing the sustainability of Australia's fish stocks, for the long term.
Australian Seafood Industry Council CEO, Russ Neal, said efforts to control poaching were an essential component of Australia's fisheries management.
The budget also includes A$217 million (€130m) of new funding to continue armed patrols in southern waters, including around the Heard and Macdonald Islands, until at least 2010. Further new funding of A$91 million (€54.8m) up to 2010 will tighten controls over northern waters. This funding will be spread across work by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (which also gets an extra $43m - €26m) and the quarantine and immigration agencies, to deal directly with the illegal fishing arrests across northern Australia.
Mr Neal said poaching, whether close to shore or out to the 200 nautical mile limit, was a real threat to fish stocks. Substantial funding was warranted to support the efforts of Australia's own fishermen in meeting strict controls on harvest limits.
