Australia, Indonesia organizing joint fishery patrols

According to the Australian Embassy here on Friday, Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Arnhem Bay and Indonesian Fisheries Department vessels Hiu Macan 003 and Hiu Macan 004 patrolled their respective side of the Australia-Indonesia maritime border over four days from 29 October to 1 November. A Customs Coastwatch aircraft supported the patrols with daily aerial surveillance.

Ambassador Farmer said these coordinated patrols, a result of ongoing Australia-RI maritime cooperation over recent months, would raise the capacity of both countries to combat illegal fishing and other transnational crimes.

"Illegal fishing costs the Australian and Indonesian economies millions of dollars each year and serves to deplete substantially our fish stocks, which are an important source of food and a key trade commodity," Farmer said.