New book fights $400M problem

A leading expert on illegal fishing has outlined ways to combat the multi-million dollar problem in a new book to be launched this week.

Written by UQ’s Dr Rachel Baird, the book focuses on the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing of the Patagonian Toothfish, a rare species that lives in the Southern Ocean and fetches top prices on the international black market.

Dr Baird said illegal fishing is an attractive option for many given the large profits to be made.

“There were approximately 600 vessel interceptions in northern Australian waters in 2005, with the Federal Government spending $400 million on illegal fishing in last year’s budget,” she said.

“It is more than a sovereignty issue though. The authorities have real concerns about breaches of quarantine, the introduction of communicable diseases and of course resource depletion.”

As there are limits on Australia’s authority in its fishing zone, Dr Baird said it was easy for illegal fisherman to exploit the complexities in regional, national and international laws of the sea.

“International law and more relevantly international politics play a significant part in formulating effective responses,” she said.

In her book, Aspects of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in the Southern Ocean, Dr Baird suggests ways to lessen the economic incentives of the practice.

The book will be launched by Senator Ian MacDonald, former Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation at an International Law Association event to be held in the Brisbane offices of Clayton Utz on March 30.

In addition, Dr Baird was the only academic from the Southern Hemisphere invited to present at an IUU conference in London late last year, with her attendance leading to involvement in an international consultancy on the issue.

Media: Dr Baird (0411 208 732, r.baird@law.uq.edu.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)