Canberra to scrutinise Pacific for illegal fishing fleets

Australia plans to significantly boost surveillance of Pacific Islands territorial waters, spending A$477 million (10.1 billion baht) on aerial patrols for illegal fishing fleets, tender documents viewed by Reuters show, as China takes steps towards sending its coast guard to the region.

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Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Fiji yesterday to discuss regional security, after the government of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka approved a maritime security agreement that will see Australia fund a patrol boat for Fiji.

Australia will fund commercial aerial patrols to support Pacific Island countries monitoring exclusive economic zones which span millions of kilometres of ocean, the documents show.

Australia was in a “permanent contest” in the Pacific, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said yesterday.

“The maritime domain is an important part of ensuring a stable and secure region in which sovereignty is respected,” she told reporters in Adelaide, when asked about the Reuters report.