Following a spike in illegal fishing, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has launched a bilingual website to educate Indonesian fishers about the risks associated with illegal fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ).
General Manager, Operations at AFMA, Peter Venslovas said the Authority’s new webpage included animated educational videos and translated chartlets “which complements on water enforcement action against Indonesian Foreign Fishing Vessels (FFVs) operating unlawfully within the AFZ”.
“The webpage is part of AFMA’s efforts to support enforcement action by educating Indonesian fishing operators about fishing within the MOU Box,” Mr Venslovas said.
“The MOU Box is an area within the AFZ in the Timor Sea where Indonesian fishers, using traditional fishing vessels and methods only, are permitted to fish,” he said.
Mr Venslovas said AFMA and the Australian Border Force were working with Indonesian officials to distribute translated information and fisheries enforcement education chartlets to fishing communities.
Mr Venslovas said while most Indonesian fishing occurred north of the maritime boundary between Australia and Indonesia, an increase of illegal fishing activity had been detected over the past 10 months.
“Our message to foreign fishers that choose to fish outside the rules is simple,” he said.
“We will intercept you, you will lose your catch, your fishing equipment and possibly even your vessel.”
The English version of AFMA’s new bilingual webpage can be accessed at this PS News link and the Indonesian version at this link.
