25 Mar 2014

Latest Maritime surveillance sweep in Pacific produces record results

4:30 pm on 25 March 2014

An annual maritime surveillance sweep in the north Pacific has reported record results.

Operation Rai Balang is one of four annual regional operations aimed at stopping illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region.

The ten-day operation recorded 39 sightings, 67 boardings and eight infringements across the Micronesian region.

Commander Mike Pounder of the Royal Australian Navy and head of the Surveillance Centre based in Honiara, says he's pleased with this year's results which identified some quailty infringements within the region.

The message that we continue to push is that we are watching all of the fisheries activities across the entire FFA region 365 days a year. We're working for our members and trying to help them and working for ourselves to identify all of the fishermen out there that are even considering conducting illegal fishery activities. So they should believe big brother is watching, because we are.

Mike Pounder of the Australian Navy