FOUR ASYLUM SEEKING CHINESE MEN
Hi As mentioned in the previous post we have had numerous interactions with Illegal Foreign Fishing Vessels (IFFV) over recent times. Concerningly, this has continued. The last few months have seen a definite spike in this activity. On 10 November we headed out to continue our marine research and observed an IFFV in Somerville Bay, northern Croker Island. This was reported to the Australian Border Force (ABF). As we have been instructed not to approach these vessels we followed at a safe distance. The ABF subsequently advised that they would not have a patrol boat in our area for 36 hours so we had to depart the area and let the IFFV slip away. The photo below shows this IFFV a little after we first saw it (photo taken with a zoom lens). And then where the IFFV anchored west of Cape Croker. Unfortunately the ABF were not able to respond in a timely manner. Later that night two Chinese nationals were delivered to our research camp by local Croker Island residents. They spoke ...