Foreign fishers booted out of Australian waters after a series of Australian Border Force operations

Another four illegal fishing boats have been intercepted off the Kimberley coast after it was revealed foreign fishers are at an 18-year high and Australia’s border patrols are struggling to keep up.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Australian Border Force said a maritime border command vessel intercepted three foreign fishing vessels in the vicinity of Heywood Shoal on Monday.

A total of 20 crew were identified aboard.

“Officers boarded and inspected the vessels, identifying 100kg of salt along with a variety of fishing equipment,” the ABF said.

“In consultation with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, MBC determined a legislative forfeiture be conducted and seized both the fishing equipment and catch.

“One of the four vessels was seized and will be disposed of at sea in accordance with Australian law.

“The crew were transferred onto the remaining two vessels and escorted out of the Australian exclusive economic zone.”

The ABF said that on the same day it also intercepted a fourth foreign fishing vessel near Augustus Island.

Six crew were identified on that vessel before officers boarded and conducted an inspection.

“In consultation with AFMA, MBC determined that a legislative forfeiture be undertaken,” the border force statement said.

Officers also seized 180kg of salt, 20kg of sea cucumber (trepang), 10kg of shark fin, and a variety of fishing and fishing-related equipment from the boat.

The vessel and crew were later escorted out of the Australian exclusive economic zone.

It comes as it was revealed on Tuesday that the boats and aircraft tasked with keeping watch over Australia’s borders keep breaking down and have been plagued with crew shortages.

The issues — highlighted in internal Australian Border Force documents — are being blamed for a double-digit drop in patrols over recent years, despite authorities warning of increased threats from both people smuggling and illegal foreign fishing.

People smuggling remains an “extant threat” to Australia, particularly boats coming from Indonesia, while illegal fishing has reached an 18-year high, briefings prepared for Operation Sovereign Borders Commander Brett Sonter ahead of Senate estimates in May reveal.

The briefings were released under freedom of information laws.

By the end of March, Border Force’s 14 vessels had done 1563 patrol days for the financial year, which was forecast to lift to 2200 by the end of June.

If the forecast lift was achieved, the number of maritime patrols would be on par with the previous year — but a drop of about 17 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

The briefing puts the fall in patrol days down to the oldest boat in the fleet, ABFC Cape St George, being out for five-yearly maintenance, along with “significant emergent defects amongst the ABF Fleet units and crewing deficiencies”.