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Crime in the Australian Fishing Industry 01/06/2009
Author: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, Australian Institute of Criminology
Increasing demand for Australian seafood overseas and at home is driving both legal and illegal markets, heightening the need for sustainable harvesting and management. Though illegal activity in the Australian domestic fishing industry has long been thought to be small-scale and opportunistic, significant numbers are regularly flouting the regulations. Some organised criminal activity too is evident, in high-value, low-volume fish stocks, such as abalone and rock lobster. Although fisheries management arrangements currently in place may be effective in minimising the risk of low-level illegal activity, there is widespread concern among fisheries officers that the current regulatory environment is not adequate to deal with and prevent organised criminal activity.