New ‘rapid response’ helicopter tendered to Australian Border Force to tackle illegal fishers in Kimberley

A new helicopter tendered to the Australian Border Force is set to tackle illegal foreign fishers and unlawful arrivals coming in through the vast Kimberley region. The new helicopter will form part of the work done through ‘Operation Leedstrum’, an initiative to increase the ABF’s presence in the Kimberley Marine Park and protect the West Australian border from illegal foreign fishers. ABF officers will be able to rapidly deploy to the region to conduct land patrols, covering an area twice the size of Victoria. The new piece of equipment will also “bolster” ongoing efforts to detect and disrupt those who use illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing corridors to provide a passage for unauthorised maritime arrivals, the Australian Border Force said. On Tuesday, a total of 17 illegal fishermen were escorted out of Kimberley waters from two separate boats after they were intercepted by border force officers. A suspicious boat was detected near Cassini Island, about 15km off the Kimberley coast, during the Australian Border Force’s Maritime Border Command’s targeted patrols of the Kimberley Marine Park. Officers stopped the boat and discovered it was a foreign fishing vessel with seven men on board. Upon boarding the boat, they seized 700kg of salt, a diesel-powered canoe, and fishing equipment. A second foreign boat was detected off the Northern Territory’s Cobourg Peninsula after being reported by a business and a community member. It was intercepted in the peninsula’s Port Essington inlet and 10 men were identified on the boat before ABF officers boarded for inspection. Officers seized 300kg of salt, four mobile phones used for GPS to tag fishing areas and a range of fishing equipment. The illegal boats were escorted north outside of the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone following the seizures. So far this financial year between July 1 and August 30, the Maritime Border Command has interdicted 48 illegal foreign fishing vessels in Australian waters, of which five have been apprehended and 27 men successfully prosecuted. ABF Commissioner Michael Outram said the new helicopter will “greatly assist” with patrolling the remote, vast landscape. “This is allowing officers to reach remote communities and camps across the Kimberley as people living there play a crucial role in spotting any suspicious activity and reporting it to authorities,” Commissioner Outram said. “We saw this play out last month when a report from a Kuri Bay business led to the detection of four illegal fishing vessels in that area, which had followed a recent visit and briefing from our officers. “The helicopter gives us the ability to cover a vast amount of distance in a shorter period of time, and be able to land in otherwise inaccessible areas without requiring an airstrip. “Importantly, the helicopter will also assist with surveillance patrols during the wet season when land patrols can be restricted due to flooding and other dangerous conditions.” Commissioner Outram also said persistent illegal foreign fishing activity continues to threaten fish stocks and damage some of Australia’s most unique and valuable environments, including marine parks such as the Kimberley Marine Park.