JAKARTA - Seven Indonesian nationals pleaded guilty to illegal fishing in Australian waters at Darwin Local Court on Thursday, March 19, after their vessel was found concealed in the mangroves of a creek near Escape River, Cape York on March 3. 

Australian authorities, acting under Operation Broadstaff, had received a tip-off from a community member about a suspected foreign fishing vessel in the area. The Australian Border Force located the vessel and seized approximately 1,950 kilograms of sea cucumber along with a range of fishing equipment.

The vessel’s master, who had been detected in Australian waters on a previous occasion, was sentenced to two months imprisonment, backdated to the day of his apprehension on March 7. Another crew member with a prior detection was released on an AU$8,000 good behaviour undertaking for four years. 

Two crew members with prior findings of guilt for similar offences were each released on AU$5,000 undertakings for five years, while the remaining three crew were released on AU$3,000 undertakings for three years. All seven will be deported by the ABF after any period of imprisonment is completed.

AFMA General Manager for Fisheries Operations Justin Bathurst said the outcome sent a clear message. “Illegal fishing will not be tolerated. Our message is clear: you will be caught and face significant penalties under Australian law,” he said. 

Acting Deputy Commander Maritime Border Command Brooke Dewar added, “ABF continues to disrupt illegal foreign fishing in Australian waters. Our officers detected this vessel concealed in the mangroves and took decisive action to protect Australia's maritime resources and sovereign borders.”

The case brings the total number of Indonesian fishers prosecuted at Darwin Local Court to 153 since July 1, 2025. 39 had been prosecuted by late September 2025, 91 by mid-November, and 146 by early March 2026, meaning seven more were prosecuted in the two weeks between March 5 and March 19 alone. 

A March 2026 study by Charles Darwin University and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), backed by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, found enforcement alone has not stopped illegal fishing, as it is also driven by social and economic pressures in Indonesian fishing communities.