Joint Australia and Indonesia Operation Strengthens Fisheries Patrol

Australian and Indonesian authorities have jointly patrolled 24,000 square nautical miles of ocean to the north of Australia during a week-long operation to combat illegal maritime activity in the region.

The annual joint patrol aims to improve coordination between Australian and Indonesian authorities to deter, detect and respond to illegal maritime activities, including illegal foreign fishing. Six vessels were boarded during the operation.

Operation JAWLINE ARAFURA ran from September 20 to 25 and was conducted along Indonesia and Australia's shared maritime border by the Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the Directorate General of Surveillance of Marine and Fisheries Resources (PSDKP) Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

Commander of the ABF's Maritime Border Command, Rear Admiral Brett Sonter, said our two nations were enduring friends and neighbours, united in the mission to combat illegal fishing and other illegal maritime activities.  

“Operation JAWLINE ARAFURA demonstrates our ability to work together to bolster our border security capabilities, ensuring a coordinated focus on combating any illegal activity where we share a maritime border with Indonesia," Sonter said.

“Illegal foreign fishing represents a serious threat to both our border security and our marine environment. We will not tolerate any illegal activity in our waters, and we will continue to work tirelessly to combat this threat with our regional partners."

AFMA's General Manager of Fisheries Operations, Justin Bathurst, said the latest joint operation was a success and welcomed further cooperation between Australian and Indonesian authorities in the future.

“We always appreciate the opportunity to work together with our Indonesian counterparts and coordinate our operations to counter illegal fishing activity from both sides of the maritime border," Bathurst said.

“The PSDKP is a valued partner in our efforts to protect Australia's fisheries and marine environment – not only in these joint patrols but also through information sharing and supporting our efforts to discourage illegal fishing by delivering public information campaigns to Indonesian fishing communities."

Director General of Surveillance of Marine and Fisheries Resources (PSDKP) Pung Nugroho Saksono (Ipunk) stated that PSDKP, ABF, and AFMA maintain robust cooperation in fisheries surveillance and the eradication of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

“PSDKP is committed to continuing its collaboration with ABF and AFMA to promote responsible fishing practices and prevent illegal activities in both Indonesian and Australian waters," said Ipunk.

Each agency deployed a range of capabilities to detect, deter and disrupt unlawful activity:

• The ABF contributed the Cape Class patrol vessel ABFC Cape St George and a Dash 8 surveillance aircraft.
• Indonesia deployed patrol vessel KP ORCA 06 with an ATR42 surveillance aircraft.
• AFMA officers were embarked across Australian and Indonesian platforms.

Last year, 36 illegal fishers were caught in a similar joint patrol in the Arafura Sea.