Australia hails Indonesian presence at fishing forum

Australia hails Indonesian presence at fishing forum

Agence France-Presse, Sydney, Australia

Australia on Monday hailed Indonesia's decision to take part in
an international conference on illegal fishing in the Antarctic,
saying much of the illegal catch ends up in Indonesian ports.

The conference in Australia's island state of Tasmania will
highlight the plight of the Patagonian toothfish, which has been
illegally fished around Australia's remote sub-Antarctic
possession of Heard Island.

Legislator Sharman Stone hailed Indonesia's decision to attend
the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR) meeting, which opens on Monday in Hobart.

"It is significant that Indonesia, being a neighbor to the
Antarctic and to the Southern Ocean, is now participating as a
member of CCAMLR," said Stone, parliamentary secretary to the
minister of the environment.

"For illegal fishing it is also important because they do
their best to try and ensure that the catch documentation scheme
is valid when they have a lot of the fished catch off-loaded in
Indonesian ports."

The two-week meeting of representatives from 20 countries is
due to end on Nov. 7.

It comes after a high-profile 21-day chase across the southern
Atlantic for a Uruguayan-flagged vessel, the Viarsa I, which was
suspected of illegally fishing for toothfish.

The boat was finally captured and brought to Australia, where
its crew are facing criminal charges.

Stone said Australia, which has a large Antarctic territory,
was determined to stop illegal fishing.

"Australia is determined to make it too tough for poachers,"
she said in a statement. "Illegal fishing is particularly
frustrating for those countries who insist their nationals take a
responsible approach to sustain fish stocks through catch limits
in the Southern Ocean.

"The Australian government is determined to ensure toothfish
and other species survive, but we cannot achieve this outcome
alone."