2 days ago
In Australia's north, Indigenous rangers are battling a spike in illegal foreign fishers
Binoculars in hand, Grace Wunungmurra peers out over a seemingly endless expanse of water, searching for the equivalent of a needle in a haystack.
The Dhimurru ranger and coxswain scans across hundreds of hectares of Aboriginal sea country in Arnhem Land, trying to spot foreign fishing vessels camouflaged against rocks, or hidden deep in the mangroves.
"If you're coming from either direction, you wouldn't really see it, because they cover it up," she said.
Foreign fishers illegally entering northern Australian waters have been caught in their dozens in the remote Top End in the past 12 months, marking a concerning spike in cases.
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority said 237 foreign fishers had been prosecuted in the Darwin Local Court since July 2024, up from 75 fishers the 12 months prior, and from just 36 cases in 2022-23.
The fishers have been entering Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) trying to take a haul of the north's lucrative marine life, such as trepang (sea cucumber) and shark fin, both considered delicacies in China.
Many of them hail from poverty-stricken villages in Indonesia.
Dhimurru managing director Djawa "Timmy" Burarrwanga said there were fears among Aboriginal landholders in north-east Arnhem Land that traditional seafood populations would be wiped out.
"There will be no more for our future generations," he said.
"If we don't look after the borders, there will be thousands and thousands of boats coming in."
On the frontline of trying to spot these fishers are Aboriginal ranger groups across the remote Top End.
As well as illegal fishers, during the past year rangers have also reported instances of people smuggling, including a case where a group of suspected Chinese nationals were left stranded in remote bushland.
Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation's executive officer, Stephina Salee, said her ranger group managed an area of land and sea country larger than 550,000 hectares — roughly 42,000 hectares per ranger.
"That's equivalent to the size of the urban setting of Singapore," she said.
"Rangers are there to manage land and sea … for their people, and that in itself is a massive role.
"And on top of it, now we're having to do border security, which is very difficult.
Ms Salee said the intrusion of foreign fishers into Arnhem Land waters also brought with it elements of danger.
She said that earlier this year, illegal fishers were discovered by traditional owners near the remote Wessel Islands, just outside of the Dhimurru IPA, with one of the fishers reportedly holding a firearm.
Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement it had found no cases of illegal foreign fishers carrying firearms on vessels in Northern Territory waters in 2025.
"The ABF strongly encourages community members to report any such incidents to the Northern Territory Police immediately," a spokesperson said.
Dhimurru leaders said rangers had been left under-resourced and legally powerless to properly enforce the growing issue.
Currently, the ABF is the main authority for border protection in the north, and has launched Operation Lunar to target illegal foreign fishing in the NT following the recent uptick.
The ABF has previously been criticised for its slow response to the influx.
Ms Salee said rangers should be given additional powers to be able to deal with the fishers or smugglers at the point of contact, rather than simply reporting it, and having to wait for ABF officers or other authorities to attend.
"A bit of power to actually enact and re-enforce some of the laws here, within these waters," she said.
Out on the water, Ms Wunungmurra said having extra enforcement powers would help to police the problem.
"It'd be awesome to have rangers … have the power to go out and fine someone for doing the wrong thing out on country," she said.
Northern Land Council chair Matt Ryan agreed, calling it "a matter of national security and biosecurity".
"Traditional owners are sick and tired of their hard-fought sea rights being disrespected," he said.
"Aboriginal ranger groups must be better equipped with compliance powers, appropriate training and proper resources in order to continue protecting the northern Australian coastline.
"Authorities and agencies must work closely with Aboriginal ranger groups and land councils to determine what powers would be most appropriate and effective in dealing with these matters."
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke did not directly answer questions about whether additional powers for rangers would be considered by the federal government.
"The relationship with Indigenous rangers was unfortunately allowed to collapse over the last decade," he said in a statement.
"I am always looking for opportunities to strengthen that vital relationship."
An ABF spokesperson said the organisation was "collaborating" with rangers to co-design an Indigenous-led partnership which would "collectively address shared border protection challenges".
"Specifically, the partnership will lead to more effective operational cooperation through coordinated coastal patrols and intelligence sharing," the spokesperson said.
"Ranger groups involved in operations will focus on information gathering and surveillance, not apprehensions or arrests."
The ABF also said it was holding training programs over the next few months to "immediately upskill ranger groups", including in "intelligence collection, personal safety and operational planning".
"These programs are only just the beginning," the spokesperson said.
Ms Salee said it was now incumbent on government agencies to prove they were listening to ranger groups as they dealt with the influx.
"Come and have a seat at our table, let us take you out [on the water]," she said.
"Let us show you the problem, because we also have the solution."
