Nine illegal fishers convicted in Australia, repeat offender jailed

Nine Indonesian nationals have pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Australian waters in two separate cases at Darwin Local Court on August 19. One of the men, identified as a repeat offender, was sentenced to a three-month term of imprisonment.

The cases arose from two incidents on August 1, when Australian authorities intercepted two separate Indonesian fishing vessels.

In the first incident, a vessel was apprehended several hundred kilometres off Bathurst Island, Northern Territory. Australian Border Force officers seized 50 shark fins, 65 kilograms of other catch, and fishing equipment.

The master of that vessel received a $5,000 fine, and the five crew received $2,000 fines each.

In the second incident on the same day, another Indonesian vessel was intercepted near Croker Island, Northern Territory.

The master was fined $5,000. One crew member, who had prior findings of guilt for similar offending, was sentenced to three months in jail and was also fined $5,000. The remaining fisher was fined $3,000.

Both vessels were seized and destroyed at sea.

Justin Bathurst of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority stated that illegal fishing continues to threaten Australia’s fisheries, and that the agency will, "detect, apprehend and prosecute those who fish illegally in Australian waters".