Navy aborted mission to apprehend illegal fishermen off Kimberley Coast due to heat

A navy mission to capture two illegal fishing vessels off the Kimberley coast was allegedly called off after an officer said conditions were too hot, according to a tourism operator assisting them.

Peter Tucker said that while members of the Royal Australian Navy were saying they were hot, ”these illegal Indonesian fishermen are sitting in the mangroves laughing”.

Mr Tucker was on board one of two navy vessels guiding 11 personnel to a mangrove forest in Kuri Bay, nearly 400km north of Broome, on August 25, where he had spotted two illegal fishing vessels the day before.

The owner of a Kuri Bay-based fishing business was instrumental in the apprehension of four illegal fishing vessels by the Australian Border Force off Kuri Bay in early August.

On August 25, Mr Tucker was picked up by the navy at 10.30am on a hot Sunday.

The two navy vessels docked just outside the mangrove swamp, where the illegal Indonesian fishing boats were concealed.

However, Mr Tucker and navy personnel were forced to wait for low tide in order to get a good view of the illegal vessels.

“When the tide is high, the boats are elevated by the water and are higher up in the leaves and trees of the mangroves so you can’t see them,” he said.

“You have to wait until lower tide to be able to spot them. I knew the tide was going to be high so I was prepared with a kit, water and everything, because I’m thinking we are going to be involved in another apprehension.”

However, Mr Tucker was shocked after his scanning of the mangrove was abruptly ended by the lead navy officer announcing that she was aborting the mission and returning to base.

“When she said we are returning, I questioned her, and I said you are kidding me?” Mr Tucker said.

“We are 40 minutes off apprehending these boats because the tide is going to lower, and she responded, ‘I’m not prepared to risk two vessels and 10 lives’.”

Mr Tucker said he repeatedly questioned her decision, until she said: “Peter, this is our second trip. We’ve been on water for nearly four hours. We are hot. We need a break.”

Mr Tucker said the latest episode reflected the navy and Australian Border Force’s lack of understanding of Kuri Bay, and the surrounding Kimberley coast.

“It’s quite concerning the lack of knowledge the authorities have in working the tides up there,” Mr Tucker said.

The navy officer assured Mr Tucker they would return to the mission, though he claims they never went back out.

Disappointed, he phoned the commander who once again assured him they would go back out. However, once again, Mr Tucker claims they never did.

The tourism operator also expressed frustration regarding the disparity in punishment between fishing businesses like himself and illegal fishermen.

After being apprehended on August 6, two Indonesian fishermen were jailed, and 18 others convicted for illegal fishing.

The jailed fishermen, who were repeat offenders, were fined $4000, and the 18 others fined $2000.

According to Mr Tucker, business figures like him would be given a similar fine for fishing one extra mangrove compared with illegal Indonesian fishermen attracting similar punishment for purloining more than 700kg of sea cucumber.

“How is it that we have to stick by these stringent rules, and if we break one of them we get the book thrown at us by the fisheries, but these men can come here illegally and rape and pillage the reef,” he said.

In a statement following the charges last week Australian Fisheries Authority general manager Justin Bathurst said the jailings signalled the serious consequences of illegal fishing in WA.

“The message is clear, AFMA and our partner agencies remain focused on detecting and apprehending illegal fishers,” Mr Bathurst said.

The Nightly reached out to the Royal Australian Navy for comment, but no response was provided.