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Two foreign fishing vessels apprehended in Australian waters

Xinhua, April 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australian authorities have apprehended two foreign vessels suspected of illegally fishing in north Australian waters.

One vessel was located in the Torres Strait with 10 crew members on board and a catch of approximately 250 kilograms of sea cucumber.

The other vessel was located in waters off Western Australia with nine crew members on board.

Authorities found fishing equipment deployed in the water on the second vessel and released sharks found on the end of fishing lines.

The Maritime Border Command (MBC), in conjunction with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), apprehended the vessels over the weekend, authorities said on Wednesday.

"If a foreign fishing vessel enters Australian waters and is involved in illegal activity they will be detected and stopped,"MBC Rear Admiral Peter Laver said.

"We were successfully able to release the sharks back into the wild which is an excellent result,"Laver said.

AFMA spokesperson Peter Venslovas added that the apprehension of foreign fishing vessels was paramount for the sustainability and economic health of Australia's fishing resources. Endit