The master of an Indonesian fishing vessel has been fined AU$17,360 (US$11,773) in the Darwin Local Court for offences under the Fisheries Management Act of 1991.
The master's vessel was apprehended northeast of Darwin, Northern Territory, on November 3, 2019, after being sighted illegally fishing in Australian waters.
The suspect vessel was then intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) cutter Cape Jervis approximately two nautical miles inside the Australian Fishing Zone.
An illegal catch of shark skins, fins and fresh flesh was found on-board in a subsequent search by ABF officers tasked by Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency taskforce within the ABF, in a joint operation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
The vessel has since been confiscated and destroyed by burning.
