Source: ABC RadioAustralia, October 25, 2005
Australia says it will raise the issue of illegal fishing with Indonesia in talks next month, as authorities seized the 200th foreign fishing vessel for the year. Federal Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald says the problem is escalating to such a degree in Australia's northern waters, that authorities should be able to jail first time offenders. Under a United Nations Convention first time offenders can only be fined, however Senator Macdonald says there needs to be greater deterrents in force. Senator MacDonald says he will raise his concerns when he meets his Indonesian counterpart next month. "The convention does allow countries to try and form bilateral agreements with other coastal states to jail each others fisherman who are doing the wrong thing," he said. "That's never been done in Australia but I think the time has come when we need to raise this with the Indonesians. It's obviously a sensitive issue."
