Australian Border Force (ABF) personnel have seized and destroyed five vessels and detained their crews as part of ongoing operations to combat illegal foreign fishing off Australia's northern coastline.
Authorities seized a combined total of 1,465 kg of sea cucumber, six kg of other catch, and assorted fishing equipment.
All five vessels have been safely destroyed at sea in accordance with Australian law. The crews have been brought to Darwin to face investigation by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority for offences against the Fisheries Management Act 1991.
The vessels and their crews were detained following five successful interdictions between September 7 and September 15, 2025. The ABF said four of the interdictions occurred in Northern Territory waters, particularly off the Wessel Islands (two interdictions), Money Shoal, and the Cobourg Peninsula.
The suspect fishing vessels have been identified as having originated from Indonesia.
The ABF advises anyone with information about suspicious activities to report these by contacting BorderWatch via this link.
