The Australian Border Force (ABF) has deployed remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to support to help combat illegal foreign fishing in Kimberley Marine Park in Western Australia.
The ABF said the addition of RPAS will enhance surveillance capabilities as they provide greater range across patrol areas that are difficult or dangerous to access by traditional methods due to thick vegetation such as mangroves, fast moving or shallow water such as tidal creeks, and predatory animals such as crocodiles.
Operating with advanced optics and sensors, the drones can be flown by both day and night, providing real-time vision to help ABF officers identify illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity, abandoned camps, and equipment hiding spots.
The deployment is part of a broader RPAS rollout across northern Australia, which includes recent integration into the Operation Lunar anti-IUU fishing operation in the Northern Territory.
"Western Australia's coastline is vast and remote with thousands of kilometres to patrol," said ABF Commander Ranjeev Maharaj. "RPAS helps us extend our surveillance footprint and improve officer safety, working alongside our other assets and partnerships to deliver results."
The RPAS are being deployed in support of Operation Leedstrum, the ABF-led multi-agency task force responsible for preventing IUU fishing in Kimberley Marine Park.