Two foreign fishing vessels intercepted in the Torres Strait off Australia last month have been destroyed at sea by the Australian Border Force (ABF).
The vessels were among four foreign boats intercepted by the ABF on January 24 for suspected illegal fishing, following reports from the Torres Strait community.
After a thorough assessment and consultation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, two of the vessels and all crews were escorted back to Indonesian waters. The remaining two vessels were seized and have since been safely destroyed at sea in accordance with Australian law.
The boat burnings come as the ABF confirms a 40 per cent increase in destruction of vessels seized across northern Australia this financial year, compared to the same time last year, as part of a deterrence strategy to combat illegal foreign fishing.
The ABF, through Maritime Border Command, is part of a multi-agency effort to protect local fisheries and marine ecosystems.
ABF has been applying a multi-faceted, layered enforcement approach across northern Australia, using a combination of surveillance options available to them through partner agencies such as the Australian Defence Force. This approach includes surveillance aircraft, fixed- and rotary-wing assets, patrol vessels, fast response boats and information from local communities with intricate regional knowledge to ensure continued awareness for activities occurring within Australia's maritime domain.
