Illegal fishing vessels seized in Australia

Illegal fishing vessels seized in Australia. The Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) can confirm the successful interception of four illegal Indonesian fishing vessels near Augustus Island in north-west Western Australia. On Tuesday 6 August 2024, an Australian Defence Vessel (ADV), in partnership with Maritime Border Command (MBC), intercepted the vessels following a report from a local business. A total of 33 adult males were identified across the vessels. MBC is a multi-agency task force utilising Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) assets. Officers boarded and inspected the vessels, before consulting with AFMA who advised on the apprehensions of crew and vessels. The officers seized over 700 kilogrammes of sea cucumber, 2,350 kilogrammes of salt (for processing), four kilogrammes of shark fin, four kilogrammes of sea urchin, and a large quantity of fishing equipment from the vessels. Three of the ...