Pirates - Protecting Australian's Deep Sea Fisheries

Mention ‘piracy’ and most people think of the salty characters that have appeared in motion pictures from the 1930s until the present day. However, in recent times illegal fishing has become an international ‘piracy’ issue. The ‘Cod War’ of the mid 1970s between Iceland, trying to protect its fish stocks, and the depredations of trawlers from western Europe, is probably where it all began. Iceland’s fisheries are its main industry but when the Icelandic Government declared a 100-mile economic zone around its waters it was largely ignored by both fishing companies and governments alike. The Icelandic Navy actually threatened to open fire on trawlers within its self-declared economic zone but the situation was suddenly resolved when Iceland said it would demand the removal of the NATO base on its shores if other nations did not comply. Other nations did comply, and the establishment of zones of economic influence was recognised in international law. Australia’s economic zones extend right down into the Southern Ocean around territories such as Macquarie, Heard and McDonald Islands, far from any mainland port. The main prize sought by illegal fishers is the Patagonian Tooth Fish- the example you see here is only a juvenile! The articles you see in this cabinet are personal items belonging to the crews of trawlers caught illegally fishing in Australian waters. What is reflected in the origins of these items is the multi-national nature of those who work in the tough conditions of deep-sea fisheries.

A ship of the UK's Royal Fleet Auxiliary in heavy weather in the Iceland Fareoes gap supporting Royal Navy Warships engaged in fishery protection duties during the "Cod War" in Nov / Dec 1973.
Credit: greenacre8, licensed under CC BY 2.0