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Down Under
Australian Customs conducts major Sea & Air operation: 197 detained
2006-04-05
ALMOST 200 suspected illegal fishermen are being detained in Australia, after a major sea and air operation off the Northern Territory coast. Customs Minister Chris Ellison said Operation Breakwater had led to the arrest of 23 fishing vessels and 197 fishermen, including eight youths. There were some resistance in relation to this operation ... in some cases shots were fired," Senator Ellison said today.
As I understand it, shooting at Aussies is a bad idea.
"But we now have 197 crewmen that have been apprehended and, as I say, 125 of them are at Baxter in South Australia, the remaining being processed in Darwin." It is understood most of the fishermen detained are Indonesian, but there may be some Chinese among the group.

Senator Ellison revealed the operation in a joint statement with Defence Minister Brendan Nelson and conservation minister Eric Abetz today. "This operation has not only resulted in 23 boats being seized, it will also have an impact on those fishers who wrongly think heading into Australian waters might be worthwhile," Senator Abetz said. "This country values its fish stocks and our right to ensure that they are sustainably managed for the benefit of future generations".

The air force worked with customs officers, who for the first time hired commercial tugs to bring suspected illegal vehicles into port. Operation Breakwater was a two-week mission that involved four Navy ships - the HMAS Armidale, HMAS Fremantle, HMAS Ipswich, and the heavy landing craft HMAS Balikpapan.

More to come...
Posted by:Oztrailan

#1  I'm shocked - a country actually defending its sovereignty?

How about if Australians start fishing in Indonesian waters, eh?
Posted by: gromky   2006-04-05 08:43  

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