Djelk Rangers, Australian Border Force intercept Indonesian fishing vessels off NT coastline

Twelve foreign fishos have been arrested after Aboriginal rangers spotted a pair of suspicious vessels lurking on Top End waters.

ABF have destroyed two Indonesian fishing boats caught off the Top End coastline after Djelk Rangers identified the suspicious vessels lurking off Maningrida.

A dozen foreign fishos have been arrested after Aboriginal rangers identified a pair of suspicious vessels lurking in Top End waters.

Last week, members of Bawinanga Homelands Aboriginal Corporation’s Djelk Rangers informed Australian Border Force of the foreign presence after sighting the vessels operating off the Maningrida coastline.

ABF dispatched vessels to the region, intercepting the vessels near Maningrida and Port Essington on Sunday.

Between the two vessels, ABF say they seized a total of 1,200kg of trepang, as well as fishing equipment.

A total of 12 Indonesians were arrested and are expected to face Darwin Local Court in the coming days.

Both vessels were destroyed at sea by authorities.

Operation Lunar commander Tracie Griffin thanked the locals responsible for finding the illegal fishos.

“These latest interceptions are an exceptional example of the success we are seeing as a result of Operation Lunar, and we are grateful to the Djelk Rangers for their diligent reporting of this sighting,” she said.

“The unique and detailed knowledge that Indigenous ranger groups and traditional owners and custodians possess about country is invaluable in supporting our efforts to protect our borders, and I urge those with information to continue to report it through Border Watch.”

The latest actions continues a busy start to 2025 for Top End border authorities, with ABF seizing a whopping six tonnes of sea cucumber in just one seizure alone last month.

Originally published as Djelk Rangers, Australian Border Force intercept Indonesian fishing vessels off NT coastline