Coastal state fisheries management: a review of Australian enforcement action in the Heard and McDonald Islands Australian Fishing Zone

Abstract

This paper discusses Australian surveillance and enforcement policy for the Heard and McDonald Islands AFZ, reviews the arrests and subsequent prosecutions of crew members under domestic law, and finally discusses options for enhancing the future management of the fishery. It is first necessary, however, to overview the threat posed by illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) in the Southern Ocean and examine the target species. The Australian response through the formal enforcement policy is then reviewed together with an analysis of the discernible shift in IUU fishing practices. Following that appears an outline of the arrests to date and a review of the application of domestic fisheries legislation. This article then concludes with an examination for future policy development in the management of the Heard and McDonald Islands fishery.