Linda Shields argues that the Australian government should "bring some compassion to fishing laws in its northern waters" (9 August, p 29).
Australia does not imprison Indonesian fishermen for illegal fishing and indeed is prevented from doing so by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Illegal fishers are fined or put on a "good behaviour bond" and often a bond is imposed for the release of a seized boat. Where fines are not paid or where repeat offenders breach bonds for previous offences, fishers may serve sentences in Australian prisons. Some boats are destroyed if a bond is not paid, some because they pose quarantine risks or are unseaworthy.
Illegal fishing by Indonesians impacts significantly on Australia's marine environment. Shark finning - the inhumane practice of cutting off the fins while the shark is alive - is banned in Australia and in most parts of ...
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