This is confirmed by monitoring on every gillnet trip, either with video cameras or an Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) observer on board and is an excellent result for sea lion populations and the fishing industry.

AFMA acted quickly to close an area of 6,300 square kilometers in 2010 after a scientific study indicated there were  unreported sea lion deaths  occurring each year due to gillnet fishing.

AFMA implemented more extensive closures following sea lion interactions in the shark fishery in early 2012, taking the total area closed to fishing to approximately 102,000 square kilometers, an area much bigger than the size of Tasmania. There have been no reported deaths since that time.

AFMA’s quick intervention and the cooperation of the fishing industry, has provided urgent and comprehensive protection for sea lions, with marine mammal expert Associate Professor Simon Goldsworthy saying that this sets a benchmark for other fisheries.

“Globally, this is now seen as an important case study,” Associate Professor Goldsworthy said.

AFMA acting CEO, Mr Peter Venslovas, said that this confirmed that consumers could be confident in buying Australian seafood knowing that effective management arrangements are in place to protect sea lions.

“AFMA works very hard to limit the impact of fishing operations on the environment but still enable fishing business to be viable and to meet the needs of Australian seafood consumers” he said.

AFMA has implemented ongoing gillnet fishing closures around all sea lion breeding colonies and has added two additional closures around newly identified breeding colonies from 1 May 2013. These closures form part of the Australian Sea Lion Management Strategy developed by marine mammal experts, industry and conservation representatives and government officials.

Shark fishers have also been participating in a trial using hooks instead of gillnets as these pose much less risk to sea lions.  The trial will be completed later in 2013.

The fishing industry is working with AFMA on future management arrangements for the fishery to further reduce the impact of fishing on marine mammals.

Electronic monitoring is sometimes used in place of observers to record catch data, including interaction with protected species. AFMA is bound by certain obligations to protect the identity of fishers and commercially sensitive information and must observe these requirements when determining what information can be released.

Contact: Rebecca Atkins, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or rebecca.atkins@afma.gov.au.

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Photograph of the FV Wuhan (formally FV Thunder and FV Kuko taken by an Australian Customs and Border Protection aircraft on 15 April 2013.

Attempts by an illegal foreign fishing vessel, the ‘Thunder’, to offload millions of dollars’ worth of illegal catch in south-east Asia, have been thwarted by a strike force team made up of Australian, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.

This boat has been using the alphabet technique – changing its name and flag – to deceive authorities and avoid detection.

However, Australia has remained one step ahead and has been able to track the vessel to south-east Asia – warning authorities and requesting that the boat be denied access to port.

After being refused access to the Malaysian port of Penang, the boat then tried to dock in Indonesia where it was boarded by Indonesian authorities assisted by officers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). The boat was refused access and other ports in the region are on alert.

AFMA’s General Manager of Operations, Peter Venslovas, said that this is an excellent result in combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

“Illegal fishing is becoming less viable. By cutting off the market end of illegal fishing operations, those responsible are finding it increasingly difficult to offload their catch, which will hurt them where it hurts most – in their hip pocket.”

Since 2007, AFMA has been working hard to increase regional engagement and co-operation and has promoted and engaged with a network of ten countries including Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia to share information and deny port access to vessels suspected of being involved in IUU activity.

Mr Venslovas said that this strong regional co-operation has made a big difference in creating an international deterrence for illegal foreign fishing operations.

“Taking collaborative action against IUU fishers demonstrates to the world that the region is working together to ensure sustainable fisheries into the future.”

Since 2004, no IUU boats have been detected in Australian southern waters but a threat remains from vessels undertaking IUU fishing outside of Australian waters. These vessels fish in the Southern Ocean and use south-east Asian ports to unload their illegal catch and re-supply. The operations are highly organised, mobile and elusive.

In 2012, four IUU vessels were denied entry into ports in Singapore and Malaysia. Three other IUU vessels in the region are currently being monitored in case they seek to access ports.

Contact Rebecca Atkins, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or rebecca.atkins@afma.gov.au.

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The Seafood Watch program advises global consumers on seafood sustainability using independent peer-reviewed science and is highly regarded worldwide.

Australia has two fisheries for Patagonian toothfish (also known as Chilean Seabass); the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery.

Both fisheries are already accredited as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and this latest announcement by Seafood Watch is more good news for seafood lovers.

AFMA Chief Executive Officer Dr James Findlay said that that it was clear that these well-managed fisheries were producing high quality and sustainable product.

“Consumers can be confident that Australian-caught Patagonian toothfish is sustainably fished using best-practice methods.”

“AFMA has very strict regulations in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable. The Australian industry don’t just meet these conditions, they go above and beyond to absolutely make sure their fishing has a minimal impact on the environment”.

Access to the fishery is limited and fishers are subject to strict management arrangements which limit the amount of catch which can be taken.

All Australian vessels fishing for Patagonian toothfish are required to carry two AFMA observers to ensure all fishing operations are monitored around the clock and all unloads of fish are monitored by fishing inspectors.

Patagonian toothfish has been subject to significant levels of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign fishing vessels in the past. A collaborative effort by industry, government and conservation groups has seen illegal fishing of toothfish decline significantly and no illegal fishing vessels have been detected in the Australian Fishing Zone since January 2004.

Dr Findlay commended the fishing industry on the key role that they played to help eradicate illegal fishing for toothfish.

Contact Rebecca Atkins, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or rebecca.atkins@afma.gov.au.

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Australian fisheries are ranked among the best in the world by independent experts and this includes environmental sustainability.

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that consumers can be confident that local seafood is managed and caught responsibly and sustainably.

“Australian fisheries use strong science-based management to monitor fish stocks and set sustainable catch limits. This means that consumers can be confident that by eating Australian seafood, they are supporting sustainable fishing practices as well as a local industry.”

Industry members in some fisheries have chosen to be assessed by independent programs such as the Marine Stewardship Council. The Marine Stewardship Council has certified seven of Australia’s fisheries as sustainable and four of these are managed by AFMA.

“This shows that the fishing industry is dedicated to the long-term sustainability of Australian fisheries and AFMA continues to work closely with them to ensure they are using best practice methods” Dr Findlay said.

The recently updated Australian Dietary Guidelines have recommended that Australians increase their fish consumption by more than 40 per cent.

Consumers who eat Australian seafood can be confident it is both healthy and sustainable.

Contact Rebecca Atkins, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or rebecca.atkins@afma.gov.au.

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Catch limits for popular table fish such as flake and whiting have increased in the 2013/14 fishing season following scientific advice showing stocks are healthy and increased catches can be sustained.

The next fishing season opens on 1 May 2013 with the total allowable catch limits increasing for 11 of 34 species, including Gummy Shark, Silver Trevally, Mirror Dory and School Whiting and catch limits for most other species remaining stable.

There will be a net increase in the aggregation of Total Allowable Catch limits this season of more than 600 tonnes, which is great news for the fishing industry and seafood consumers.

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that this was a pleasing result with strict management and world leading science ensuring the sustainability of our fisheries for years to come.

“The overall improvement in fish stocks is a result of strong science-based management and an industry dedicated to the long-term sustainability of the fishery and their business.

Ultimately this means more fresh, sustainable, local fish on Australian tables and more fishing jobs in rural and regional Australia”.

AFMA recognises the significant contributions that all members of its Management Advisory Committees and Resource Assessment Groups, as well as stakeholder bodies, have made to sound fisheries management over many years.

“The advice from recreational and commercial fishers as well as environmental groups has been paramount to the success of fisheries management. Healthy ecosystems supplying more healthy seafood are testament to the skill and experience of all those who participate in AFMA’s Management Advisory Committees and Resource Assessment Groups.

For those interested in the scientific advice and other information on the status of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery, they can find it on the AFMA website at www.afma.gov.au.

Contact Rebecca Atkins, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or rebecca.atkins@afma.gov.au.

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Commercial fishers from the sustainably accredited Northern Prawn Fishery will be undergoing new TAFE-recognised training on best-practice fishing before they go to sea in April this year.

The Northern Prawn Fishery, which stretches across the top of the country from Western Australia to Queensland, recently became Australia’s first tropical prawn fishery to receive the iconic ‘blue tick’ of sustainability from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Skippers and crew in the fishery have put up their hands to undertake the training course, part of a collaborative program between the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Northern Prawn Fishery Industry Pty Ltd as part of the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program.

Australian Fisheries Management Authority CEO Dr James Findlay said that the training would assist fishers to reduce their bycatch and avoid protected species such as turtles.

“It’s great to see the fishers looking to improve their understanding of bycatch reduction devices and learn practical ways to limit impact on the environment”, Dr Findlay said.
Northern Prawn Fishing Industry Executive Officer, Annie Jarrett said that the fishery had built its reputation on environmental practices, delivering tasty, Australian-caught prawns to local and international consumers.

“This training initiative provides a great opportunity for our crew to continue to develop their knowledge and skills in this area, which is a great thing for us and for the Australian community”, Ms Jarrett said.

Successful graduates will receive a nationally-recognised TAFE certificate demonstrating their knowledge of sustainable fishing practices.

Interview and photo opportunities will be available at the training as follows:

Cairns: 23 March 9am-5pm, Cruising Yacht Squadron on Tingira Street

Darwin: 24 March 9am – 5pm, Stokes Hill Function Centre

Karumba: 25 March 2.30pm – 8.30pm, the Rec Club.

For more information regarding the training please contact Matt Barwick, NPFI Projects Manager on 0422 752 789, or m.barwick@npfindustry.com.au.

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The recently updated Australian Dietary Guidelines have recommended that Australians increase their fish consumption by more than 40 per cent; however choosing sustainable seafood can seem confusing.

Australian fisheries are managed under strict rules to reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and to ensure that stocks remain strong into the future. This means that consumers can be confident that local seafood is managed and caught responsibly and sustainably.

Numerous international studies have ranked Australia’s fishery management among the best in the world including for its environmental sustainability.

Industry members in some fisheries have chosen to be assessed by independent programs such as the Marine Stewardship Council. Australia has seven fisheries that have been independently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable, with four of these managed by the federal regulator, AFMA.

Annual reports on stock status show that each year more stocks are considered healthy, with fewer in the ‘overfished’ and ‘subject to overfishing’ category (only three Commonwealth-managed stocks in the most recent report).

Since 2007 the number of key commercial fish stocks known to be sustainably fished has doubled (from 28 to 56).  This list includes popular table fish such as flathead and prawns. 

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that tough fishery rules mean that Australian seafood waters is caught responsibly and consumers should feel confident purchasing and enjoying this seafood.

“I know people are sometimes worried about whether certain types of fish are ethically ok to buy, but in Australia we use very good science to monitor the fish stocks and we set catch limits so that commercial fishers can’t take more than is sustainable”, Dr Findlay said.

“The fishing industry also takes sustainability seriously and we work closely with them to ensure they are using best practice methods.

“It is very encouraging to see some fishers going above and beyond what is required by the regulations to ensure their fishery is world class.”

Healthy stocks and robust science and management are allowing AFMA to increase catch limits in a number of key fisheries. These increases are putting more healthy and sustainable seafood, including Blue Grenadier, on the plates of Australian consumers. 

Contact Sophie Milic, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or sophie.milic@afma.gov.au.

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AFMA is encouraging fishers from the commercial Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery to actively avoid competition areas such as the upcoming Australian National Sportsfishing Association and Games Fishing Association Australia competitions off Narooma, Port Stephens and Bermagui.

Skipper of longliner Tuna Moon, Joe Basile said that most of the time they fish well out to sea and don’t come close to recreational fishers.

“We always try to avoid fishing where the game fishing comps are happening,” Mr Basile said.

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that the recreational fishing sector was a very important part of the fishing landscape and while AFMA doesn’t have direct responsibility for recreational fishing, it forms an important consideration in managing commercial fisheries.

“It’s really important that commercial and recreational fishing can work in harmony and we’re doing our part to make sure that the rec guys can enjoy their sport and that commercial fishers can provide fresh seafood for Australian consumers”, Dr Findlay said.

“AFMA has several rules in place to limit the impact of commercial fisheries on the recreational sector.”

Under Commonwealth law, commercial tuna fishers are also banned from taking Blue Marlin and Black Marlin, two prized game fish species due to their large size and vigorous fighting.

Very few of these fish are caught as bycatch in commercial fishing operations and they are always released. AFMA makes it mandatory for commercial boats to carry line cutters and dehookers which make it easier to free any caught marlin and greatly improve survival rates for released fish.

AFMA also distributes details of upcoming game fishing tournaments to the commercial fleet to help them to plan their trips to avoid coming too close to the competitions.

“It has been particularly encouraging to see commercial tuna fishers pointing rec and charter fishers towards the better fishing areas for both tuna and marlin in recent years and this sort of cooperation is a great sign of the growing level of trust between the sectors”, Dr Findlay said.

Contact Sophie Dening, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or sophie.dening@afma.gov.au.

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AFMA regulations help ensure Australian Sea Lions aren’t affected by fishing

Additional fishery closures put in place a year ago to protect sea lions have been highly successful, with no sea lions caught in gillnets since the latest closures took effect in April 2012. 

Prior to April 2012, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) closed three key habitat areas off South Australia to gillnet fishing following the death of eight Australian Sea Lions in the shark fishery.

These deaths meant that set ‘trigger limits’ in the Australian Sea Lion Management Strategy were reached, prompting AFMA to close three key sea lion habitat zones to gillnet fishing. Each closure is for 18 months, which is approximately the breeding cycle for Australian Sea Lions.

AFMA’s quick intervention, and the cooperation of the fishing industry, has provided urgent and comprehensive protection for sea lions, with South Australian Research and Development Institute marine mammal expert Associate Professor Simon Goldsworthy saying that this sets a benchmark for other fisheries.

“Globally, this is now seen as an important case study,” Associate Professor Goldsworthy said.

AFMA Executive Manager Dr Nick Rayns said that although the closures were absolutely necessary, AFMA recognised that they had a major impact on the fishing industry.

“In 2010, after a scientific study estimated that hundreds of unreported sea lion deaths were occurring each year due to gillnet fishing, we closed an area of 18,500 square kilometres or nearly the size of Australia’s largest national park, Kakadu,” Dr Rayns said.

“The latest closure took this to 102,451 square kilometres (much bigger than the size of Tasmania) and now we have almost reached 12 months without any sea lion deaths at all – and this is confirmed by monitoring every trip, either with video cameras or an AFMA observer on board.”

Under the strategy if a total of 15 sea lion deaths are confirmed in a 12 month fishing season the entire fishery adjacent to South Australia will close, however the smaller zone closures have proven so successful that AFMA hasn’t needed to take this action.

Dr Rayns said that this was an excellent result for sea lion recovery and the fishing industry.

“We work very hard to balance competing priorities; to limit the impact of fishing operations on the environment but still enable fishing business to be viable and to meet the needs of Australian seafood consumers,” he said.

Shark fishers have also been participating in a trial using hooks instead of gillnets as these pose much less risk to sea lions.  The trial will be completed later in 2013. 

The industry is also working with AFMA on future management arrangements for the fishery to further reduce the impact of fishing on marine mammals.

Contact Sophie Dening, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or sophie.dening@afma.gov.au.

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The audit report reviews AFMA’s compliance and enforcement work, finding that only minor improvements can be made by assessing compliance risks more often and measuring results more comprehensively.

Using a combination of high tech monitoring and targeted covert operations, AFMA compliance officers keep a close eye on those fishing in Commonwealth waters to make sure that the rules are being followed at all times.

Recent inspections focusing on Commonwealth fishing boats at ports in Victoria and southern New South Wales revealed three breaches, confirming that the majority of operators are following the rules.

Surveillance flights over boats in Australia’s South East Trawl Fishery also found all boats to be compliant in using mandatory devices to prevent seabirds becoming caught or injured in fishing gear.

AFMA General Manager Operations Peter Venslovas said that by and large commercial fishers were responsible in the way they complied with the rules.

“The fishing industry understands that these rules are in place to ensure the ecosystem is kept in balance and the stock is sustainable into the future”, Mr Venslovas said.

“But we do keep a close watch on fishing operations and those few that think they can get away with taking more fish than they are allowed to or fishing inside closed areas should think again.”

Fisheries offences carry a range of penalties including fines, forfeiture of catch and boats and suspension of fishing licences.

AFMA uses satellite tracking systems, on-board video cameras and AFMA fisheries observers to monitor fishing activities in the $320 million-a-year Commonwealth fishing industry.

Fisheries compliance officers conduct inspections of boats and catch at sea (both by boarding and using air surveillance), in port and at the fish receivers where the fish are processed.

Contact Sophie Dening, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or sophie.dening@afma.gov.au. 

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The most recent Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Fishery Status Reports 2011, released in December 2012, shows that since 2007 the number of key commercial fish stocks known to be sustainably fished has doubled (from 28 to 56).  This list includes popular table fish such as flathead and prawns. 

Tough action by both government and the fishing industry is actively rebuilding some stocks that were previously depleted with the number of fish stocks classified as ‘overfished and/or subject to overfishing’ decreasing by nearly 20 per cent (from 16 to 13 stocks) over the same period.

While studying our oceans is always a difficult task, the levels of uncertainty about key seafood species has also improved dramatically since 2007.  The ABARES report show that the number of fish stocks with ‘uncertain’ status has halved (from 52 to 26) since 2007. 

Australian Fisheries Management Authority CEO Dr James Findlay said that these numbers show that AFMA’s management is working and consumers should be confident that when they buy Australian seafood they are buying from fisheries that are managed sustainably. 

“Every year we see more and more encouraging figures in these and other independent reports on the health ofAustralia’s fisheries.  This is the result of good management by government and industry rather than good luck”, Dr Findlay said.

“The reduced uncertainty about our fish stocks is particularly encouraging and this is the result of considerable investment by both government and the industry to improve the knowledge we use to make our decisions.

“What this report means is that the Australian public can have confidence that they will continue to have access to sustainably-caught Australian seafood from Commonwealth fisheries, well into the future.”

Every year since AFMA was established in 1992, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has independently reported on the biological health of key commercial fish stocks harvested in Commonwealth fisheries.  Anyone who is interested in knowing more about the performance of fisheries management and seafood sustainability can access the report on the ABARES website.

For more information please contact Sophie Dening, Media and Communications on 02 6225 5541 or sophie.dening@afma.gov.au.

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This is the result of some hard work by both AFMA and the Commonwealth fishing industry to improve cost- efficiency in managing fisheries while delivering necessary management and regulatory services.

Initiatives such as increasing use of cameras on boats instead of human observers and the increasing use of on-line business through AFMA’s GoFISH portal are delivering cost savings which are being directly passed on to the fishing industry.

A revised system of calculating levies in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery has also been introduced to better reflect the ‘user pays’ approach. 

“We allocate the costs so that fishers are charged levies based on how much they cost to manage – so a fisher with their boat tied up to the wharf isn’t paying as much as someone who’s out fishing every day”, said AFMA Executive Manager Dr Nick Rayns.

AFMA sustainably manages Commonwealth fisheries on behalf of the Australian community, with the cost of providing that management shared between the Australian Government and the fishing industry, through levies.

Each fishery is charged separately and 2012 levies include decreases from the previous year in some fisheries and increases in others, as a result of changes in management activities for each fishery.  

This year the businesses that will incur the largest dollar reductions are in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery and trawl fisheries in the Great Australian Bight.  There are also increases in levies for the Northern Prawn Fishery and Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery, due to an increase in research needs and improved stock management systems.

AFMA charges levies in installments to assist businesses to pay and offers special consideration for any operators experiencing difficulties paying their levies, including individual payment plans.

See our frequently asked questions for more information.

Contact Sophie Dening, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 or 0447 942 840 or sophie.dening@afma.gov.au.

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On Saturday 1 December, a BPC Dash 8 surveillance aircraft detected the vessel approximately 50 nautical miles east of Ashmore Islands and within the Australian Fishing Zone.

ACV Arnhem Bay, operating under the control of BPC, intercepted the vessel.

Five crew were detained and 20 kilograms of fish, including 12 different species of reef fish, were seized.

Commander BPC, Rear Admiral David Johnston, said “Illegal foreign fishing is a serious issue and BPC, working with AFMA, are committed to enforcing Australian laws within our maritime zones.”

AFMA General Manager Operations Peter Venslovas said that preventing illegal foreign fishing was about maintaining the sustainability of Australian fish stocks.

“AFMA tackles illegal foreign fishing in a number of ways – we cooperate with other governments in the region, we run education programs in Indonesia and we apprehend suspected illegal vessels in partnership with BPC and prosecute those fishers who have done the wrong thing.”

The vessel and crew will arrive in Darwin today. AFMA will now further investigate the activities of the vessel and may lay charges against the crew.

Media enquiries: Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793.

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Three Indonesian fishers have been convicted for illegal fishing after two boats were caught ‘blast fishing’ with explosives inside Australian waters in early October.

Following investigations by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) three men were charged by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions office and all pleaded guilty in the Darwin courts.

They were fined a total of $43,000. Both boats were confiscated by AFMA and were destroyed by incineration at AFMA’s vessel destruction facilities in Broome and Darwin.

Both vessels were initially sighted by surveillance aircraft from the Australian Border Protection Command and apprehended by patrol boats from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

The first boat was apprehended on 1 October at Scott Reef about 250 nautical miles north of Broome and the second boat was apprehended on 2 October at Evans Shoal about 100 nautical miles north-west of Darwin and 18 nautical miles inside Australian waters.

Both vessels had chemicals on board, including TNT and detonators to make small bombs for the purpose of fishing. Both masters admitted to using the equipment to undertake blast fishing in Australian waters.

AFMA General Manager Fishing Operations Peter Venslovas said that court outcomes reflected the serious nature of the offences and the environmental destruction that blast fishing can cause.

“The convictions and fines coupled with the confiscation and incineration of both vessels send a strong message to illegal foreign fishers”, Mr Venslovas said.

“Blast fishing is a fishing method not previously encountered in Australian waters and we warn others that this type of activity will not be tolerated by Australia’s border protection authorities.”

A number of other agencies assisted AFMA in its investigation including the Western Australian and Northern Territory Police, Western Australia Department of Fisheries and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

Contact Sophie Dening, AFMA Communications 02 6225 5541 (W) or 0447 942 840 (M)

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ACV Roebuck Bay, operating under the control of BPC, apprehended a foreign fishing vessel and ten Indonesian fishers at Scott Reef off Broome yesterday.

Explosive materials were found on the boat including a length of detonator cord and 15 aluminium tubes (5-6cm long) packed with cotton wool and a dark powdery substance. Other suspected blasting devices where found in the water directly beneath the vessel.

Over 320kg of fish was seized from the vessel including dried fish, fresh fish, sea cucumbers (beche-de merrepan), shark flesh and fins, and sea snails (trochus).

As part of a joint border patrol with Indonesian authorities, the ACV Botany Bay apprehended a second foreign fishing vessel near Evans Shoal – north of the Tiwi Islands with ten Indonesian fishers yesterday. Explosive detonators and 200kg of fish, mainly Red Snapper, were seized from the fishermen.

David Ollerton, Manager BPC (Darwin) stressed the importance of deterring illegal foreign fishers and commended the officers involved in the joint operation.

“Illegal foreign fishing is a serious international maritime issue and BPC together with AFMA remain committed to stamping out these activities and safeguarding our environment, our natural resources, and our borders,” Mr Ollerton said.

“We are successfully deterring this threat. Apprehensions in Australia’s waters have fallen from 367 vessels and 2,961 illegal foreign fishers in 2005–06 to just 12 vessels and 68 fishers in 2011-2012.”

AFMA General Manager of Operations, Peter Venslovas said this latest apprehension shows that cooperative efforts between Australian and Indonesia are yielding strong results in combating illegal fishing in the region.

“Blast fishing is highly destructive to the marine environment and any suspected blast fishing will be dealt with seriously”, Mr Venslovas said.

The vessel apprehended at Scott Reef will now be escorted to Broome while the vessel apprehended near Tiwi Islands will be taken to Darwin. AFMA will further investigate the activities of these vessels.

Media enquiries: Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793

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