International plan for Arafura and Timor Seas region set to reduce illegal fishing

AFMA has assisted to develop an international plan to combat illegal fishing in the Arafura and Timor seas region.

AFMA officers from the International Operations team represented Australia at the second Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Sub-Regional (Arafura and Timor Seas) Group meeting in Dili, Timor-Leste over three days in late March. Delegates from the other member countries of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste also attended.

The group identified a number of key illegal fishing issues that currently impact on the sub-region, including unlicensed fishing vessels operating in member countries’ waters and unauthorised mother ship activity.

The group agreed on a 12 month action plan to address these issues. Actions include the pro-active exchange of monitoring, control and surveillance information that identifies potential illegal, unregulated and unreported vessel activity relevant to more than one member country’s waters, activity targeting priority areas to combat illegal fishing as identified by the members and a review and assessment of targeted activity outcomes in time for the next meeting to be held in Papua New Guinea in 2013.

The Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Sub-Regional (Arafura and Timor Seas) Group was established along with other sub-regional groups in 2008 under the auspice of the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices including Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Region (RPOA).

The group held its inaugural meeting in Darwin in 2009.  The objectives of the group are to promote the sharing of information and to coordinate regional activities to support the promotion of responsible fishing practices.

For more information please contact Cindy Bravos, Manager International Operations on 08 8943 0355 or cindy.bravos@afma.gov.au.