Illegal fishing costs Pacific Island nations hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue each year but an Australian-backed operation is helping them fight back.
The Southwest Pacific is the world’s most fertile fishing ground, supplying more than half of the tuna sold globally.
Which is why the Australian Defence Force has joined a multinational effort to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region.
As part of Operation Solania, a Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan and supporting personnel deployed to the Cook Islands and Tonga, working alongside the Royal New Zealand Air Force, have been supporting the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency’s Operation Tui Moana.
Operation Tui Moana is one of four annual Pacific-led maritime surveillance operations.
In May, ADF surveillance patrols covered 113,220sq km of sea, identifying potential threats to Pacific partners’ marine resources and countering transnational organised crime.
They successfully identified 12 vessels of interest suspected of illegal fishing in Tonga and the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zones.
Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said fisheries protection was essential to long-term sustainability.
“Australia continues to prioritise our region by deploying ADF assets to support Pacific-led arrangements that safeguard regional prosperity and security,” Vice Admiral Jones said.
“Working together to deliver Pacific-led, Australian-backed solutions to Pacific security challenges is essential to ensuring our region’s stability and protecting our sovereignty.”
Unlicensed fishing by foreign boats was historically the primary threat to the area, but better satellite tracking has made it easier to detect illegal boats.
The most prevalent problem now involves vessels drastically misreporting their catch volume or illegally transferring catches to larger ships out on the high seas.
Australian Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national newswire and has been delivering accurate, reliable and fast news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We keep Australia informed.
