Australian authorities are standing firm against a rising tide of foreign vessels coming to Australia to fish illegally, whilst also strengthening cross-border collaboration and engagement.
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) investigated several hundred cases of suspected illegal fishing in 2024-25. AFMA successfully prosecuted 273 Indonesian nationals for offences against the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Cth) in cases arising from apprehension of illegal foreign fishing vessels between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
This was more than three times the number prosecuted in 2023-24 and more than six times the total for 2022-23. Overall, offences attracted fines totalling $359,000 along with penalties including terms of imprisonment for up to six months.
In the same period, AFMA investigations into domestic offending within Commonwealth fisheries led to the prosecution of three Australian commercial fishers (in December and January).
Australia's maritime authorities detected more than 270 incursions by Indonesian fishing vessels in 2024-25, with responses varying according to the operational circumstances.
Over 60 foreign fishing vessels were seized and destroyed in accordance with Australian law. In other cases, vessels were directed to leave Australian waters after catch and equipment was seized.
Indonesian fishing crews continue to target sea cucumber and shark fin in waters off the vast coastlines of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, although some illegal foreign fishers were also apprehended in the Torres Strait.
Enforcement action in the past 12 months has included seizure of more than 22 tonnes of sea cucumber (worth up to $2 million) and over 500 shark fins (worth up to $50,000), along with various other species and large quantities of salt used to process and preserve illicit catch.
Fishing gear and equipment seized from illegal foreign vessels has included diving gear, air compressors and regulators, longlines, hand lines, spears and spear guns, nets and crude dredges which cause severe damage to sensitive marine environments.
In most cases, the crews used GPS navigation devices and mobile phones to navigate to fishing grounds deep inside the Australian Fishing Zone.
AFMA works closely with Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency taskforce within the Australian Border Force, to target persistent illegal foreign fishing activity. This task is often made easier through support from Indigenous Rangers and remote communities.
AFMA and MBC also continue to work with Indonesian authorities, particularly the Directorate General of Surveillance of Marine and Fisheries Resources (PSDKP), to understand and counter the drivers of illegal fishing. This important relationship was further strengthened through meetings in Canberra in December 2024, and the 24th meeting of the Indonesia-Australia Fisheries Surveillance Forum in Jakarta in May 2025.
PDSKP is also a key partner in Australia's efforts to discourage illegal foreign fishing through public information campaigns in Indonesian fishing communities that highlight the dangers involved and the penalties.
"Unfortunately, Indonesian fishers often consider the potential financial benefit of illegal fishing expeditions, but not the potential risks," said AFMA's General Manager of Fisheries Operations, Justin Bathurst.
"The cost of fishing illegally in our waters is very high. Destruction of your vessel and seizure of fishing equipment and catch is a costly outcome. On top of this, the penalties for fishing illegally in Australia can include significant fines and possible jail time. It's just not worth it."
