Navy And Customs Catch Sixty-one Foreign Fishers

Navy And Customs Catch Sixty-one Foreign Fishers Over Weekend

Northern maritime patrols co-ordinated by Border Protection Command and involving officers from Defence, Customs and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) resulted in 61 foreign fishers being brought into Darwin for investigation in recent days.

Royal Australian Navy Armidale Class Patrol Boats HMAS Pirie and HMAS Maitland's efforts resulted in five illegal foreign fishing vessels, with 57 foreign fishers being brought into Darwin on 16 September 2007.

HMAS Pirie detected, intercepted and boarded the vessels in the Australian Fishing Zone, in the vicinity of Evans Shoal, north of Darwin on 14 September 2007. AFMA officers requested fresh trepang found onboard to be returned to the ocean and vessels be brought into Darwin for investigation. HMAS Maitland was tasked to assist and took over from HMAS Pirie to escort the fishers into port.

The 57 crew were handed over to Customs officers on arrival into Darwin for processing and transfer to Department of Immigration and Citizenship custody.

Also on 14 September a Customs Coastwatch aircraft located a foreign fishing shark boat inside the Australian Fishing Zone, east of Cape York. Australian Customs Vessel Botany Bay intercepted and boarded the shark boat approximately 60 nautical miles south of Thursday Island. The four crew were taken to Weipa for processing by Customs before being transferred to Darwin for further investigation.

'The continued success of these operations is due to commitment of all agencies involved to protect the Australian Fishing Zone against illegal activity," Deputy ADF Commander Border Protection Command, Air Commodore Ian Meyn said.

ENDS

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