Illegal fishing vessels intercepted west of Torres Strait

Australian Border Force officials load 15 alleged illegal fishers into a vehicle at Seisia Wharf on 21 June after their boats were intercepted in the Arafura Sea west of the Torres Strait. Photo: Supplied.

Australian Border Force (ABF) has apprehended 15 illegal foreign fishers and seized two foreign fishing vessels following an operation in the Arafura Sea west of Torres Strait on 18 June.

ABF’s Maritime Border Command (MBC), in partnership with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), detected and apprehended the Indonesian vessels, which were found to be allegedly fishing illegally in the vicinity of Deliverance Island, also known as the Warul Kawa Indigenous Protected Area.

The illegal fishing crews – which included 14 men and one juvenile – were conveyed to Darwin and placed in fisheries detention while the incident was investigated and prosecution considered.

Before being transported to Darwin, the fishers were loaded into a vehicle at Seisia wharf in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) on 21 June.

One witness Cape York Weekly spoke to said ABF made a visible arrival in the NPA on Thursday.

“They arrived yesterday (20 June) on a Border Force plane,” the witness explained.

“Locals who were having dinner on the beach said there were planes circling on Wednesday night.

“There’s been a lot of interest when the people were getting put on the bus; it was a bit of a tourist attraction.”

The seized vessels were equipped with a substantial quantity of fishing equipment and will be disposed of by AFMA.

MBC Commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter said the interception should serve as a warning for other illegal fishers attempting to enter Cape York and Torres Strait waters.

“If you fish illegally, you will lose your vessel, your equipment and you will be placed in immigration detention to face potential prosecution in Australian courts,” he said.

An Australian Border Force crew approaches an illegal Indonesian fishing vessel near Deliverance Island, west of the Torres Strait. Photo: Australian Border Force.