we provide leadership in delivering an enhanced whole-of-government response to illegal foreign fishing in Australia's northern waters
ILLEGAL FOREIGN FISHING IN AUSTRALIA'S NORTHERN WATERS
Our fish stocks have enormous economic and environmental value but their sustainability is constantly threatened by illegal foreign fishing. In October 2005, the government directed the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to establish a review of fisheries compliance and maritime enforcement. The Government also agreed to pursue a long-term strategy to garner Indonesian cooperation to discourage illegal fishing in Australian waters. The review approved additional measures to manage the disposal of vessels and to provide increased detention facilities and transport for illegal fishers.
The 2005 review sought to carefully balance the requirement
for a heightened and highly visible deterrent effect through
enforcement action in our maritime zones. It recognised a need
to undertake a range of initiatives to discourage illegal fishing
ventures within Indonesia before they commence.
In the 2006-07 Budget, funding to implement these measures was provided to a number of agencies. Customs was provided with $197.3m over the next four years for programs such as:
- expansion of the responsibilities of the Border Protection Command to control and coordinate all 'on the water' operational responses to civil maritime security threats and to enhance its analytical capability to collate intelligence about threats
- a helicopter response capability to more effectively deal with foreign vessel landings and abandoned boats
- processing facilities and associated transport for fishing vessel crew in Broome and Gove
- the establishment of a processing facility in Weipa
- charter of the northern response vessel Australian Customs
Vessel (ACV) Triton
- providing Customs National Marine Unit crew with specialised training to meet the risks associated with boarding of foreign fishing vessels.
- deployment of an additional Customs officer to Jakarta to work with Indonesian regulatory and enforcement agencies.
BPC LIAISON OFFICERS MANAGING MARITIME SECURITY
Customs National Surveillance Centre (NSC) is the focal point for the management of Border Protection Command (BPC) operational activity. The NSC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to coordinate civil maritime surveillance and responses to maritime threats.
The NSC works closely with Customs staff in the Enforcement and Investigations division and with Defence to coordinate the involvement of Australian Customs Vessels and Australian Defence Force vessels in operational activities, such as interceptions of illegal foreign fishing vessels.
In May 2006, staff from other government agencies were co-located
within the NSC to assist and streamline operational decision-making.
This approach provides a unique construct whereby interagency
operations are coordinated from a single location. Agencies
involved include Customs Enforcement and Investigations Division,
the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Department
of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, and the Australian Quarantine
and Inspection Service.
Photo: Customs at work at the National Surveillance Centre.
INSIGHTS FROM A CUSTOMS LIAISON OFFICER OVERSEAS COMBATING ILLEGAL FOREIGN FISHING
In 2006-07 Customs established a position in Indonesia to combat
illegal foreign fishing. Senior Australian Customs Officer,
Kate Walker took up her position at the Australian Embassy,
in Jakarta in November 2006.
Customs role at the embassy is to pursue cooperation with the Indonesian Government through the Joint Fisheries Surveillance Forum and to liaise on other surveillance and enforcement issues in relation to illegal foreign fishing.
One of the initiatives arising during this period was agreement to conduct a coordinated patrol on the Indonesian-Australian maritime border in the latter part of 2007. This outcome is a vital component of our joint efforts to deter illegal foreign fishing in Australia's northern waters.
In February 2007, Border Protection Command hosted the biannual
Australian-Indonesian Fisheries Surveillance Forum in Darwin
and agreement was reached that the first stage in achieving
a coordinated patrol would be a communications trial between
Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) vessels
and Australian Customs Vessels.
Ms Walker has been the coordinator for the trial in Indonesia.
Along with Customs officers from Canberra she travelled to the
port of Bintung in Manado, Sulawesi in early June 2007 to install
radio and satellite communications equipment on board two MMAF
vessels, the Hiu Macan 003 and 004.
Photo: from left Captains of Hiu Macan 003 and 004, Dr
Purwanto, (Indonesian Director of Fisheries Surveillance), Pak
Willem Gaspersz (Indonesia's Director for Patrol Vessels), Mark
Webb (Customs Canberra), Kate Walker and other Ministry Marine
Affairs and Fisheries Staff.
ILLEGAL FOREIGN FISHING PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN
In December 2005, the Australian Government announced that it would fund a joint Australian-Indonesian awareness campaign on the impact and consequences of fishing illegally in Australian waters.
The aim of the campaign, undertaken in the individual illegal-fisher source villages, is to help educate and stop the flow of illegal fishermen entering our waters fishing for shark fin and reef fish. A major focus of the program was also to provide information about alternatives to illegal fishing such as aquaculture. The outreach visits involve an open discussion forum with the local community, community leaders and local government officials.
In December 2006 Customs visited South and South East Sulawesi. The program comprised Australian officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Indonesian Officers from the Ministry Marine Affairs and Fisheries, together with local government officials.
The outreach program provides an excellent opportunity to meet fishing communities that have been involved in illegal fishing activities. It also provides a forum to discuss issues such as sustainability of fisheries resources on both sides of the border and the consequences of illegal fishing in Australian waters.
LARGE ARMED NORTHERN PATROL AND RESPONSE VESSEL
Customs has acquired a new armed patrol and response vessel, the Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Triton. Following a public tender process conducted from July to September 2006, a contract was signed with Gardline Australia Pty Ltd on 1 December 2006 for the ACV Triton. ACV Triton was selected for its range, speed and capability of operating independently or as a command ship, working in tandem with other Customs and Royal Australian Navy patrol boats. ACV Triton's unique trimaran configuration provides an extremely stable platform with excellent fuel efficiency and large open deck areas for housing apprehended fishers.
Built in the United Kingdom in 2000, the diesel-electric powered
98-metre vessel is one of the world's largest motorised trimarans.
The ACV Triton has a top speed of 20 knots and is capable of
remaining at sea for extended periods, enabling it to carry
out more patrols. ACV Triton is operated by a civilian crew
of 14 and can carry up to 30 government officials, including
armed Customs boarding party officers. There is the capacity
to hold up to 30 apprehended persons for short periods until
they can be transferred ashore for processing and potential
prosecution.
Following extensive modifications in the United Kingdom and
Singapore, fitting of two 0.50 calibre machine guns and Australian
registration, ACV Triton was handed over to Customs at the end
of January 2007, ready to commence 12 months of operations.
Photo: ACV Triton on patrol in northern waters, May 2007
CUSTOMS RAPID RESPONSE HELICOPTER
Customs leased a new rapid response helicopter. A request for tender for the helicopter was issued in August 2006 and closed in October 2006. Helicopters (Australia) were the successful tenderer for the service. Under the contract, the company will operate a new Eurocopter EC-145 twin engine with day and night capabilities from April 2008.
A BK-117-B2 twin-engine helicopter is operating in the interim and commenced flying in May 2007. The helicopter is based in Gove and is able to respond quickly to the presence of foreign fishing vessels on the Arnhem coast and around the Gulf of Carpentaria.
It has day and night capabilities and is operated by two pilots
with the capacity to carry up to four armed Customs officers
for tactical responses to any suspicious landings on offshore
islands or the mainland.
Photo: Customs BK-117-B2 twin-engine helicopter.
