Border Force officials have taken a no-nonsense approach to illegal foreign fishing boats in Australian waters by setting them on fire.
Extraordinary images show several offshore ships on fire and engulfed in plumes of thick, gray smoke off the coast of Queensland and the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
It comes amid a rise in the arrival of illegal Indonesian fishing boats, targeting sea cucumbers and shark fins, along with more people smuggling businesses arriving on Australian shores.
These images are being distributed in Indonesian villages identified as departure points for many of these trips in an effort to deter would-be illegal fishermen.
On Friday morning, Education Minister Jason Clare defended the practice of banning boats, telling Sunrise that “illegal fishing is serious.”
Extraordinary images show several ships off the coast on fire and engulfed in plumes of thick, gray smoke off the coasts of Queensland and Kimberley.
‘Anyone coming into our backyard and stealing things from your backyard is serious.
‘The only way to stop him is to burn his ships. It sends a message that if you do this, you will lose the most valuable thing you have: your ship.’
The commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, Rear Admiral Brett Sonter, revealed that in a bi-coastal operation, more than 200 boats were seized, 48 were sunk and 1,000 fishermen were detained.
Rear Admiral Sonter said there had been an increase in illegal activity in Australian waters in recent weeks, noting that many of the ships were not even seaworthy.
On a single day several weeks ago, border force officials detected 65 vessels.
‘Do not do it. It’s not worth making a living. “It’s not worth living,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill said the government is working with Indonesian authorities to disrupt illegal activity and has invested an additional $50 million in resource authorities.
Australia has a decades-long history of burning ships deemed to be operating illegally.
In 2021, Indonesia suspended a joint maritime patrol with the Australian Border Force after ships were set on fire in similar circumstances.
Increasingly, fishermen are setting sail in search of Australian sea cucumber.
This is because it is considered a delicacy abroad and prices have been rising steadily. A report from AgriFutures estimates that the global sea cucumber industry is valued at more than $6.6 billion.
In some parts of the world, such as China, sea cucumber can sell for up to $1,000 per kilogram.
But there are wider concerns that illegal fishing boats are not the only ones entering Australian waters.
These images are distributed in Indonesian villages identified as departure points for many of these trips in an effort to deter would-be illegal fishers.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill said the government is working with Indonesian authorities to disrupt illegal activity and has invested an additional $50 million in resource authorities.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley went toe-to-toe with Mr Clare on Friday, saying: “I am very concerned about illegal fishing and the sea cucumber plays a vital role in our oceans ecosystem.”
“But I’m also worried about illegal boats that come as people smuggling vessels.”
In November 2023, a ship of asylum seekers arrived on mainland Australia for the first time in years.
The group was quickly sent to Nauru, which had not received any new intake of asylum seekers in nine years.
Rear Admiral Sonter said Operation Sovereign Borders was still underway and warned against criminal people smugglers selling “false hopes” of an easy path to Australia.
“People smugglers continue to exploit and misrepresent real or perceived changes to Australia’s immigration situation,” he said.
“Anyone who tries to migrate to Australia irregularly by boat will not settle here.”