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It’s muggy, ridden with mosquitos and home to saltwater crocodiles, but that’s what makes Western Australia’s far north coast a favourite hiding spot for illegal fishers.
However, local rangers are hoping to change that.
A boat with rangers on the patrol.Credit: Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation
Indigenous rangers and WA’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions took Australian Border Force officers out to remote beaches and mangroves forests on the Kimberley coast earlier this month, to uncover where illegal fishers may potentially hide when trying to cross into Australian waters.
The four-day patrol was part of Operation Leedstrum, and involved Indigenous rangers passing on their knowledge of the region’s remote beaches, inhospitable islands and dense mangroves to government authorities.
“We were able to share some of our local knowledge to help locate hiding places ... for illegal fishing boats on Dambeemangaddee sea country,” a Dambimangri Aboriginal Corporation spokesperson said.
Leedstrum was triggered after an increasing number of illegal fishers were detected off WA’s north coast, and parts of the Buccaneer Archipelago, the Lalang-gaddam Marine Park and its surrounding coast have been identified as a particularly porous part of WA’s border.
A ranger patrols remote mangroves in WA’s Kimberley.Credit: Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation
In some cases, the area has acted as a drug couriering route between the two countries, and served as camps for illegal fishers.
“This successful patrol marks an exciting first step in building a stronger relationship with ABF, and we’re proud to be part of this important work, monitoring our remote coastline,” the spokesperson said.
Fishers often traverse the region in search for the lucrative sea cucumber – or trepang – which is worth about $300 per 500 grams in Indonesia.
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The four-day joint patrol was conducted by the department and Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation, who are traditional owners over parts of the park.
“Officials undertook a … patrol of the shoreline and mangrove systems within the marine park to identify and record areas used by foreign fishing vessels,” a department spokesperson said.
“The joint patrols allowed knowledge and intelligence to be shared between the three organisations
and the information recorded during the patrols will assist DBCA and DAC with marine park management and future patrols.”
A spokesperson for the Australian Border Force said the authority was particularly keen to hear from rangers who knew the country so intimately.
“Indigenous ranger groups possess generations of local knowledge and cultural practices to manage vast and remote areas of land, river and sea country,” they said.
Parts of the park are only accessible by air.Credit: Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation
“Through an ongoing partnership between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ranger groups and the ABF, this deep knowledge provides invaluable intelligence, helping us effectively monitor the 30,000km of coastline we have at our doorstep.”
This masthead understands local Indigenous Kimberley rangers were briefed about three years ago on how to recognise the boats and report them to police.
Fishing camps have previously been detected at the islands around the archipelago, Scott Reef and Ashmore Reef.
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Federal authorities said they had detected nearly 300 illegal foreign fishing vessels in the last financial year, and have recently launched a similar operation to fight fishers on the Northern Territory coast.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said earlier this year the operation had already resulted in significant seizures.
“Following the success of Operation Leedstrum in the Kimberley, some illegal fishers have ventured further east into the Northern Territory. They are now discovering that this pathway is also blocked,” he said.
“Vessels are being intercepted, more than seven tonnes of sea cucumber has been seized and boats have been destroyed.”
It comes it was revealed the ABF was buying up crayfishing boats in Geraldton to pass on to people smugglers.
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