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Seven illegal trawlers apprehended |
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With hulls filled with around 4,300kg of fish, seven illegal Indonesian fishing boats and 67
people have been rounded up by two naval patrol boats and a customs aircraft off Australia’s northern coast. HMAS Dubbo and HMAS Success had to run down five of them when they ignored calls to stop. The boats were boarded by navy personnel.
“The capture of these boats shows that the Australian government and the Australian Defence Force will not muck about when securing Australia’s sovereign waters and economic interests,” said Defence Minister Dr. Brendan Nelson. Spokesman for Fisheries Minister Eric Abetz said the captured boats were worth $30,000 each and this was a major loss for the kingpins financing illegal fishing in Australian waters. |