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An Indonesian fisher was fined A$4,000 (US$2,892) in the Darwin Local Court on Thursday, November 22, after pleading guilty to offences for illegally fishing in Australian waters.
The master and his crew were spotted 80 nautical miles inside Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by an Australian Border Force (ABF) surveillance aircraft on November 7, 2018. The aircraft was tasked by the Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency task force within the ABF.
The fishing vessel was subsequently intercepted and boarded by officers aboard ABF Cutter Cape Jervis (pictured). The fishers' unseaworthy vessel could not be towed safely to shore and was destroyed at sea.
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) carried out further investigations which led to the master being convicted and fined.
