Joint media release - Senator The Hon Chris Ellison, Minister for Justice and Customs, The Hon Dr Bendan Nelson, Minister for Defence and Senator The Hon Eric Abetz, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation

A new $388.9 million plan to combat illegal foreign fishing in northern Australian waters, announced as part of the Howard Government's 2006-07 Federal Budget, brings the Howard Government's total commitment to fighting illegal fishing to well over half a billion dollars.

Under an integrated whole-of-government plan, the Australian Customs Service, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Department of Defence, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Federal Police and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions will be provided with the resources to more than double the number of illegal foreign fishing boats that are apprehended each year.

The additional resources will meet the costs associated with the apprehension, transportation, processing and accommodation of the several thousand extra fishermen likely to be detained each year. It will also fund the expansion of fishing boat management and destruction facilities, and the additional investigations and prosecutions.

As part of the new package, the Joint Offshore Protection Command (JOPC) will now assume responsibility for operational coordination and control for all enforcement responses to illegal foreign fishing.

The creation of this single command centre to undertake planning, surveillance, intelligence analysis and deployments will facilitate a coordinated, whole-of-government focus on illegal fishing in particular, and maritime security more generally.

Other new initiatives to enhance the Government's response to foreign fishing incursions include:

• $24.9 million for the establishment of a rapid long-range helicopter response capability to more effectively deal with foreign vessel landings and abandoned boats;
• $65.9 million for the upgrading of the processing facility for foreign fishermen in Broome, the establishment of facilities in Gove (Nhulunbuy) and Weipa, and modifications to the facility in the Torres Strait, and the construction and operation of new boat-destruction facilities
• $9.6 million over four years from 2006-07 for increased intelligence support for Australia's on-shore surveillance and interdiction capabilities, and to provide greater support to policy, intelligence and enforcement agencies engaged in fisheries compliance and maritime enforcement.
• $18.5 million over three years from 2006-07 to enhance charting of the Torres Strait and northern Great Barrier Reef to enable Defence and Customs vessels and other enforcement agency vessels to navigate reliably in previously uncharted waters where illegal activity may occur;
• $2.0 million for the establishment of a dedicated patrol/response vessel stationed in the northern waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park;
• $14 million to fund the use of civilian charter vessels to tow apprehended illegal foreign fishing vessels to shore, as required;
• $6.9 million to engage indigenous community groups to help monitor the bio-security risks from illegal foreign fishing vessels; with a review of the programme in 12 months;
• $6.3 million for increased officer training and equipment on Customs patrol boats to address the risks associated with boardings of foreign fishing vessels, and the establishment of a project team to bring forward the replacement of the Customs fleet; and
• $1.4 million to maintain our ongoing commitment to the High Seas Task Force on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

Tonight's announcement builds on current initiatives developed in consultation with Indonesia to discourage illegal foreign fishing at its source.

Additional officers from Customs, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will be deployed to Jakarta to work with Indonesian regulatory and enforcement agencies in addressing this problem, including a permanent Counsellor in Jakarta to provide a focus for liaison with the central government.

As part of developing a cooperative strategy with Indonesia, Australia will also fund a major public information campaign in Indonesia to build a better understanding of the problems that illegal fishing causes for both countries.

The Government will also examine toughening penalties for those convicted of illegal foreign fishing, including custodial sentences for those apprehended in Australian territorial waters.

Minister for Defence Dr Brendan Nelson said, "These initiatives are just further proof that we won't muck about in securing Australia's sovereign waters and protecting the economic interests of the Australian people."

"Apart from the unsustainable impact foreign illegal fishing is having on our fish stocks and marine life, these boats and their crews pose a range of environmental, quarantine, health and security threats to Australia," Senator Ellison said.

"The Government recognises these risks and the concerns of the fishing industry and remote coastal communities, and has developed a strategy which tackles these problems head on, both on the water and in Indonesia."

Minister for Fisheries and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz said,

"Combined with the $167 million committed in 2005-06, this budget brings the Howard Government's extra commitment to fighting illegal fishing in Australia's northern waters to over half a billion dollars over the next four years.

Media contacts:
Nigel Blunden (Dr Nelson) 02 6277 7800 0407 632 931

Duncan Bremmer (Senator Ellison) 02 6277 7260 0409 003 084

Brad Stansfield (Senator Abetz) 02 6277 7270 0419 884 666