David Carter, CEO of Austral Fisheries, congratulated Australian agencies involved in operations which have led to the apprehension in Malaysia of the illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing boat, the Viking.
“I understand the work done by officers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Border Protection Command Service, and the Australian Antarctic Division has been central to actions taken by Malaysia, and Thailand before them, to detain and prosecute IUU toothfish fishing boats” he said. David went on to say that the Viking was one of the few remaining IUU toothfish boats known to be operating on the high seas in the Southern Oceans.
Following successful patrols and actions by the Australian government agencies over a decade ago, there has been zero illegal fishing for toothfish in Australian waters since 2006 around our two major fisheries at Macquarie Island, and at Heard and McDonald Islands. Work undertaken by the current government to ensure those patrols continue is vital to ensuring Australian waters are protected from illegal operators.
Austral Fisheries are proud to be operating in both of the world’s most well recognised and sustainable fisheries for toothfish, which continue to be so as a result of actions by Australian government agencies to halt illegal fishing, and to ensure the best available science is used to determine appropriate catch levels.
We believe the work being done under the instruction of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, has been pivotal to ensure continued support for Australian patrols in the southern ocean, along with extended collaborative arrangements with international and regional partnerships to eliminate illegal fish being landed and sold in those countries.