Two illegal fishing boats intercepted by Australian Border Force in Rowley Shoals Marine Park in the Kimberley

A pair of illegal fishing boats carrying almost 130kg of sea cucumber were intercepted in Kimberley waters by the Australian Border Force last week. The vessels were suspected to have been illegally fishing on Thursday last week in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park — about 300km west of Broome — before officers seized the boats, an ABF spokesperson said. After consulting the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, officers stormed the vessels and discovered 129 kg of sea cucumber. Fishing equipment such as knives, breathing apparatus’ and bags of salt — which are used to preserve the catch — were also seized. The boats were located near Clerke Reef and Mermaid Reef. “One vessel was safely destroyed after the crew were transferred to the second vessel, which was then directed to leave Australian waters,” the spokesperson said. The sea cucumber, also known as trepang, was disposed at sea. ABF maritime border command commander, rear admiral Brett Sonter, said officers would continue working with the defence force to stamp out illegal fishing. It comes after a number of boats from Indonesia were intercepted last year. “These apprehensions again demonstrate the systems in place across our vast coastline continue to net results,” he said. “We remain committed to maintaining this strong enforcement action against illegal foreign fishing, which can cause serious damage to our fish stocks and marine environment.” In March last year, three vessels were found fishing illegally in the Kimberley — including one in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park. Crew members from the three vessels were detained and transported to Darwin, where 15 of them were charged with offences under the Fisheries Management Act 1991. One of the accused fishermen was also sentenced to 19 days imprisonment after being found guilty of previous illegal fishing offences. As of late December, 99 illegal foreign fishers had been prosecuted in less than six months over incidents around the country, including the Kimberley. This is a significant jump from the previous year after 76 Indonesian fishers were prosecuted in 2023-24.